Members of President Donald Trump's Board of Peace will meet in Washington on Thursday to finalise plans for thousands of troops to police the Gaza ceasefire, and to discuss the next steps in the US-led effort to rebuild the Palestinian enclave.
Representatives from nearly 50 countries and the EU are expected to send observers or delegates to the inaugural meeting of the board, which has been given a mandate by the UN Security Council but faces questions over whether it aspires to compete against the world body in other areas.
Mr Trump said on Sunday that members of the board have pledged more than $5 billion for Gaza aid and reconstruction. Delegates on Thursday will discuss how that initial tranche of money will be disbursed.
Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's son-in-law, last month outlined plans for Gaza, saying parts of the ruined Palestinian enclave could be rebuilt within three years. About 100,000 new homes are planned for Rafah in that time.
Mr Kushner told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the private sector should jump at the “amazing investment opportunities” in the massive redevelopment project.
The US says any reconstruction in Gaza is only possible after Hamas has been disarmed, and security in the strip is crucial.
Washington announced the start of phase two of Mr Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan last month. Among the next steps is an international stabilisation force charged with training Palestinian security forces and keeping the peace. It is also expected to play a role in disarming Hamas.
Indonesia this week said it is preparing to send 1,000 troops to Gaza by early April as part of a peacekeeping mission, with 8,000 soldiers ready for posting by June.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said more details would be discussed about the “thousands of personnel” to make up the “international stabilisation force and local police to maintain security and peace for Gaza".
A US official denied reports that progress in the Gaza plan has stalled because of the slow pace of disarming Hamas.
“We are under no illusions on the challenges regarding demilitarisation, but we have been encouraged by what the mediators have reported back,” the official told reporters.
The US official said members would also hear an update about the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a new Palestinian committee that will take over running the enclave's day-to-day affairs.
Eric Alter, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the Board of Peace could not replace the UN but could complement it.
“Because the UN has proved many times that it's a bit slow, and it's sometimes bureaucratic, the US would say it's biased against Israel,” Mr Alter said.
"So we have a number of critics' criticisms, which have been made against the UN that prove, at the end, that there was some space, and I think we have to see it as some sort of additional space to try something else.”
Some western governments have also expressed reservations about the Board’s framework and the central role of the US, and have chosen to watch from the sidelines.
Who is attending the Board of Peace meeting?
Turkey said it is sending Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, while the EU will take part in an observer role, with Commissioner Dubravka Suica representing the bloc.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is expected to attend, along with Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia's President. Other notable attendees include Javier Milei, Argentina's President and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Vatican this week said it would not take part in the Board of Peace initiative, as efforts to handle crises should be managed by the UN.
Pope Leo, the first US pontiff and a critic of some of Mr Trump's policies, was invited to join the board in January.
Mr Trump will give opening remarks at Thursday's meeting, with other speakers to include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mr Kushner, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Board's High Representative Nickolay Mladenov. Other delegates will also speak.
A senior administration official said the following countries are sending representatives to the Board of Peace meeting: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, the EU, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, UK, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
