US officials signal possible global mandate for Trump’s Gaza "Board of Peace"

According to individuals familiar with ongoing internal talks, US officials have raised the possibility of expanding the scope of the Gaza “Board of Peace” — a body chaired by President Donald Trump — to include other global crises such as Ukraine and Venezuela.

The concept, first outlined in the Financial Times, has already triggered significant unease among Western and Arab diplomats, who worry that the nascent structure could evolve far beyond its intended Middle Eastern remit.

One source briefed on the discussions said they believed the Trump administration viewed the Board of Peace “as a potential substitute for the UN . . . a kind of parallel unofficial body to deal with other conflicts beyond Gaza.” Diplomats anticipate that the administration will formally introduce the board during next week’s World Economic Forum gathering in Davos.

Originally conceived to help guide Gaza’s reconstruction and governance after the devastating two-year Israel-Hamas conflict, the proposal to widen the body’s mandate has deepened hesitation among governments that had been weighing whether to endorse it. “There is caution in the region with regards to [this idea],” an Arab diplomat said, noting that regional officials had already discussed the implications. “This is not a normal procedure.”

A US official insisted on Friday that planning for the Board of Peace remained confined to the Israel-Gaza issue and had not been broadened as of now. However, Trump wrote on his Truth Social account the previous day that the board had already been “formed” and that its roster — expected to include other world leaders — would be announced “shortly.” He added: “I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place.”

Key operational questions remain unresolved, including the board’s composition and the extent of any legal or political authority it might wield beyond the Middle East. Its role in Gaza’s postwar transition was authorised under a UN Security Council resolution in November.

Haaretz was the first to report on the idea of widening the mandate, and US officials say invitations to potential members were circulated on Wednesday, without specifying the recipients. A US official described the atmosphere as upbeat: “People are in a celebratory mood. The fact that this coincides with Davos feels a little bit like it was meant to be.” The White House, for its part, said: “The entire world wants to be part of President Trump’s historic effort to deliver peace to the Middle East. Any announcements of Board of Peace membership will come from the president directly.” The State Department declined to comment on whether the mandate might be expanded.

The board is meant to underpin the next phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Day-to-day governance of the enclave would fall to a Palestinian technocratic committee overseen by Nickolay Mladenov, the former Bulgarian defence minister and UN envoy.

Diplomats also noted that US officials have mentioned Venezuela — currently engulfed in political chaos following the recent capture of Nicolás Maduro — as another potential focus for the board’s mediation efforts.

On Ukraine, a senior official in Kyiv involved in discussions with Washington said that a separate peace board, likewise chaired by Trump, is envisioned as a central element of proposals to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Currently, it is suggested that this particular board will be established particularly for the Ukraine-Russia case,” the official said.

Under these proposals, the board would include representatives of Ukraine, Europe, NATO, and Russia, and would monitor and guarantee implementation of a 20-point peace plan that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described as “90 per cent ready.” The Kyiv official added that Washington had not indicated that this Ukraine-focused structure would be subordinate to any broader body, saying: “We did not discuss the idea of expansion of the scope for this board. We believe that, at least at [this] first stage, the board shall be focused on monitoring of [this] particular peace settlement.”

By Tamilla Hasanova