US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Jan 15) announced the formation of a Gaza “Board of Peace,” a key second-phase element of a US-backed plan aimed at ending the conflict in the Palestinian territory.
“It is my great honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that the board’s members will be announced “shortly.”
“I can say with certainty that it is the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled at any time, any place,” he added.
The announcement follows the earlier unveiling of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, tasked with managing the day-to-day governance of post-war Gaza. This committee will operate under the supervision of the Board of Peace, which Trump is expected to chair.
The US-backed plan also envisions the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.
“The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor, and the international community to empower the committee,” Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday.
The Gaza peace plan, first implemented on Oct 10, facilitated the return of all hostages held by Hamas and aimed to end the fighting in the besieged territory.
While the plan’s second phase is now underway, several issues remain unresolved. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has reported that Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire ostensibly came into effect.
For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel’s full military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip — a step included in the plan’s framework, but with no detailed timetable announced. Hamas, meanwhile, has declined to publicly commit to full disarmament, a demand Israel considers non-negotiable.
