Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace convened for the first time in Washington Thursday, marking an early and critical test of one of his most ambitious foreign policy ventures. The gathering drew representatives from more than two dozen founding member nations, all assembled to address the precarious ceasefire situation in Gaza and what comes next for one of the world’s most devastated territories.
Trump himself serves as self-appointed chairman of the board, a role he has embraced with characteristic enthusiasm. He told reporters this week that member countries had pledged $5 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction and would commit thousands of personnel for peacekeeping and policing duties. Those pledges, however, have not been formally documented or made public, raising questions about the substance behind the announcements.
The board’s ambitions are sweeping. Trump, alongside son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff, has laid out plans for a rebuilt Gaza featuring coastal tourism strips, industrial zones, and data centers. Kushner suggested in Davos that reconstruction could be completed within three years — a timeline that experts at the United Nations say vastly underestimates the complexity of clearing rubble and demining alone.
Progress on the ground in Gaza remains deeply limited. Hamas has not disarmed. No international forces have deployed. The Palestinian transitional committee meant to replace Hamas governance is still waiting in Egypt, blocked from entering Gaza by Israel’s refusal to grant permission. Daily Israeli strikes continue, killing Palestinians including civilians.
Critics warn that without swift, concrete results, the board’s credibility will evaporate quickly. The International Crisis Group’s Israel-Palestine Project Director cautioned that if the meeting does not produce fast, tangible improvements — particularly on the humanitarian front — the entire initiative risks losing credibility before it has truly begun.