Bahrain’s King Hamad has accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the Gaza Board of Peace.
The Foreign Ministry said the decision reflects the kingdom's “commitment to support the full implementation” of Mr Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip, the Bahrain News Agency reported on Monday.
Authorities highlighted the plan’s role in “protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people”. The ministry expressed “hope” the board will achieve its goals of “promoting co-operation, supporting stability and achieving development and prosperity for all”.
The White House announced on Friday that the board would include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mr Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and the American leader's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November authorised the Board of Peace and countries working with it to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza.
The move came after a fragile ceasefire began in October, as part of a plan presented by Mr Trump, which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to.
On Tuesday, the UAE Foreign Ministry also announced that President Sheikh Mohamed had accepted an invitation from the US to join the Board of Peace.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the decision reflects the importance of fully implementing Mr Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
Bahrain and the UAE are both key US allies in the region. They normalised relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, joining other Arab states in establishing full diplomatic ties.
