In brief
In a significant development for international diplomacy, seven nations including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt have agreed to take part in US President Donald Trump's newly formed Board of Peace. This initiative seeks to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza, as well as support reconstruction efforts. While the board's effectiveness and the nature of its framework remain unclear, it has sparked discussions about broader international collaboration. Leaders from various nations, including Russia and Canada, are still determining their involvement, illustrating the complex landscape of peace negotiations in the region.
Seven countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt say they will join US president Donald Trump's Board of Peace, according to a joint statement.
They will join Israel, which also publicly confirmed its participation earlier.
On Wednesday evening Trump said Vladimir Putin had also agreed to join - but the Russian president said his country was still studying the invitation.
The board was originally thought to be aimed at helping end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction. However, its proposed charter does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears to be designed to supplant the functions of the UN.
Saudi Arabia stated that the group of Muslim-majority countries - Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Qatar - endorsed the aim of consolidating a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, supporting reconstruction, and advancing what they described as a just and lasting peace.
At the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump told reporters that Putin had accepted his invitation to join. He was invited, he's accepted. Many people have accepted, Trump said.
Putin responded quickly, stating that the invitation was under consideration. He also mentioned that Russia was prepared to provide $1 billion from frozen Russian assets and viewed the board as primarily relevant to the Middle East.
The extent to which other nations have been invited remains unclear; Canada and the UK are among those listed but yet to respond. Additionally, the UAE, Bahrain, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam have already signed up.
On Wednesday, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo received an invitation. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, indicated the Pope would need time to consider participation.
Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob, however, declined the invitation, stating that the body dangerously interferes with the broader international order.
A leaked document indicates that the Board of Peace charter will take effect once three states formally agree to be bound by it, allowing member states renewable three-year terms and permanent seats for those contributing $1 billion.
The charter establishes the body as an international organization mandated to fulfill peace-building functions under international law, with Trump serving as chairman and US representative.
Former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov was appointed as the board's representative in Gaza, specifically during a second phase focusing on reconstruction and demilitarization, under the authorization of a UN Security Council resolution valid until the end of 2027.
Netanyahu's office stated that the Gaza Executive Board's composition was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy. Israeli media conveyed that the inclusion of representatives from Turkey and Qatar, who helped broker the ceasefire effective since October, had been decided without Israel's knowledge.
Under the first phase of the peace plan, Hamas and Israel reached an agreement regarding a ceasefire, exchanged hostages, and allowed humanitarian aid to flow. However, Israel insists it will only proceed to the second phase once Hamas delivers the last dead hostage.
Phase two confronts significant obstacles as Hamas has previously refused to disarm without establishing an independent Palestinian state, and Israel has not yet committed to a full withdrawal from Gaza.
The current ceasefire is precarious; more than 460 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes since its initiation, while the Israeli military has documented three soldier fatalities due to Palestinian attacks.
The conflict, sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in extensive casualties, prompting a military response from Israel and significant devastation in Gaza.
