Trump's Board of Peace set for inaugural meeting on Gaza

DW News · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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One month after the ceremonial signing of the Charter of theBoard of Peace in Davos, Switzerland, Trumphas invited all its members to Washington, DC, to attend its inaugural meeting. The agenda for Thursday, February 19, is expected to focus on the future of the Gaza Strip beyond the current fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. A key point is raising funds for the reconstruction of Gaza and providing humanitarian aid. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced that $5 billion (€4.2 billion) had already been pledged by the Board's members. The Board of Peace hopes to raise fund for the reconstruction of GazaImage: Hashem Zimmo/TheNews2/IMAGO European countries mostly absent from Board of Peace Of the at least 60 countries invited, 27 have so far accepted the invitation. Bulgaria, Hungary, Albania and Kosovo are the only European countries that have joined. Over the past month, Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Romania, as well as the European Union, have decided to join as observers, meaning they won't take part in decision-making. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was invited but will instead send Dubravka Suica, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean. According to a spokesperson, the EU has "a number of questions" about parts of the board's charter. Many countries rejected the invitation over similar questions. Will the Board of Peace compete with the United Nations? France, for instance, has expressed concerns that the Board could overstep the authority of the United Nations. The Board of Peace was endorsed in November 2025 by the UN Security Council with the sole mandate of pursuing peace in Gaza. The Security Council did so because the US could most effectively resolve the war due to its close ties to Israel, argues Max Rodenbeck, project director on Israel and Palestine at the Crisis Group, a nonprofit think tank focused on conflict prevention. "I think many members of the UN were so horrified by this Gaza war and wanted it to come to a stop in almost any way possible," he told DW. Over the past months, however, Trump's vision for the Board appears to have changed. While he has not said he wants it to overstep the UN, he has said the Board's goal was to create "world peace." Under the UN Charter, however, the UN Security Council has the "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security."Trump didn't say the Board of Peace should undermine the UN, but critics warn that it mightImage: Selçuk Acar/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO Board of Peace's impact beyond Gaza The Charter of Trump's Board of Peace appears to aim for a similarly broad scope. It does not mention Gaza at all, instead emphasizing its global ambition to resolve conflicts. Jason Isaacson, chief policy and political affairs officer at the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy organization for Jewish people worldwide, told DW that he supports the Board's ambitions beyond Gaza, provided they can actually lead to a reduction in conflicts. "It perhaps would achieve greater success than we've seen in other conflict resolution models that we've relied on and sometimes been disappointed in for many years," he said. The UN was founded after World War II, and there have been calls for the Security Council to be reformed. Critics argue that with its current structure, with the US, China, Russia, France and the UK as permanent members, no longer reflects the current global power distribution and limits fair representation of member countries. Replacing it, however, does not seem to be an option at this time. Rodenbeck doubts that Trump and the Board would address conflicts in which they have no personal interest, such as in Ukraine. Currently, each member has its own interest in participating in the Board of Peace. This could change with each conflict, Rodenbeck explained.Board of Peace's undemocratic structure Another concern among invited states is the Board's structure. Currently, the US president serves as the sole chairman and represents the US. Below him is the Board, consisting of member states, which decides on the budget and negotiates joint decisions. Then there is an Executive Board, consisting of seven individuals selected by Trump, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff. Its role is to implement the decisions of the Board. The Gaza Executive Board leads the work relating to Gaza and oversees the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which is intended to be responsible for the territory's administration. As chairman, Trump has the sole right to invite others to join the Board, veto decisions, and "create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities," according to the charter. Trump can only be replaced by voluntary resignation or "as a result of incapacity." That poses a problem, says Rodenbeck. "As it's worded now, Trump could retire from being US president and still be the head of the Board of Peace and still appoint his own successor." While it might work for the conflict in Gaza, Rodenbeck considers a structure dominated by the US to be "not the shape of an international organization that has democratic legitimacy." 'A nonstarter' – Volker Perthes on the Board of PeaceTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What does this meeting mean for Gaza? There's been a US-brokered ceasefire in place since October 2025, but it remains fragile. Strikes and clashes have continued to cause civilian casualties. Israel insists on strict security conditions and wants Hamasto disarm before any long-term peace arrangements, while maintaining military and border controls it says are needed to prevent attacks. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have demanded a permanent end to hostilities, removal of Israeli military presence, lifting of the blockade, and guarantees for reconstruction and humanitarian access as preconditions for lasting peace. The future of Trump's Board of Peace will largely be determined by its next steps: What happens in the meeting on Thursday, how it will approach the complex challenges in Gaza and whether it can deliver tangible progress. Despite the criticism the Board faces, it might still be a key player in Gaza's postwar transition. "Anything that changes the reality in a positive direction is a success," Isaacson said. Edited by: Andreas Illmer