US approves communication channel between Palestinian authority, Board of Peace

The United States has approved the establishment of a coordination committee between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, officials said on February 18.

The committee will formalise ties between the PA and the Board of Peace, which is overseeing Gaza’s postwar reconstruction, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

PA Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa will represent Ramallah on the panel, while Gaza High Representative Nickolay Mladenov will represent the Board of Peace, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The creation of the panel represents a compromise for the PA, which has sought membership on the Board of Peace, particularly given Israel’s representation on the body, which is composed of world leaders and headed by Trump.

Ramallah hopes the committee will be officially announced ahead of the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting in Washington on February 19, the Palestinian official said, adding that the PA will continue to seek representation on the Board or its advisory Gaza Executive Board.

The Palestinian official credited lobbying from Arab countries on the Board of Peace for Washington’s approval of the coordination committee.

The PA has already been in contact with Mladenov and other members of the Board of Peace’s Gaza Executive Board, so the practical significance of the committee is limited. However, Ramallah seeks influence over decision-making for Gaza’s reconstruction, as its cooperation will be necessary for the initiative’s success.

A separate committee of Palestinian technocrats, tasked with replacing Hamas in governing Gaza, is expected to rely on civil servants and police forces currently on the PA payroll. Additionally, the PA holds access to Gaza’s land registration documents, which will be needed to compensate property owners if land is used in reconstruction projects.

The PA official said Ramallah is eager to assist both the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), but wants a formal role to help ensure the initiative contributes to the eventual reunification of Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel and the US, which oversees the Board of Peace, have opposed a more prominent PA role in Gaza, arguing that Ramallah must first carry out significant reforms. Israel objected last month after the NCAG updated its logo to resemble that of the PA.

The PA has said it is engaged in reforms, including scheduling elections and eliminating its welfare program, which critics have called “pay-to-slay” because it provides stipends to security prisoners.

Ramallah also cites Israel’s withholding of over $4 billion in Palestinian tax revenues, in violation of the Oslo Accords, as a major obstacle. The funds, which make up most of the PA’s revenue, have prevented full salary payments to public sector employees over the past year, pushing the PA close to collapse.

While PA President Mahmoud Abbas was not invited to the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting, NCAG chief commissioner Ali Shaath is expected to attend, a US official said.

When asked for comment, the US State Department did not deny authorising the new communication channel. A statement attributed to a Trump administration official said: “The Board of Peace is pursuing all 20 points of President Trump’s plan, which speaks for itself. We’re not going to comment on diplomatic conversations.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev