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METAZINE

Trump Kicks Off First Board of Peace Meeting on Gaza

Foreign Policy

Thursday 19.2.2026

    During its first day in action, nine members of the board agreed to pledge a total of $7 billion toward relief for the war-torn enclave.

    An illustration of Alexandra Sharp, World Brief newsletter writer
    An illustration of Alexandra Sharp, World Brief newsletter writer
    Alexandra Sharp

    By , the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy.

    U.S. President Donald Trump joins leaders for a group photo during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace.
    U.S. President Donald Trump joins leaders for a group photo during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace.
    U.S. President Donald Trump (center) joins leaders for a group photo during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on Feb. 19. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday. The group, a key part of the United States’ 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war, aims to tackle reconstruction, disarmament, and governance in Gaza. However, Trump’s vision for the body has quickly expanded into a more ambitious mandate: bringing lasting peace to not just the Middle East but the whole world.

    During its first day in action, nine members of the Board of Peace agreed to pledge a total of $7 billion toward relief for Gaza. That comes on top of $10 billion pledged by the United States, though Trump has not specified what that money will be used for or where it will come from.

    U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday. The group, a key part of the United States’ 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war, aims to tackle reconstruction, disarmament, and governance in Gaza. However, Trump’s vision for the body has quickly expanded into a more ambitious mandate: bringing lasting peace to not just the Middle East but the whole world.

    During its first day in action, nine members of the Board of Peace agreed to pledge a total of $7 billion toward relief for Gaza. That comes on top of $10 billion pledged by the United States, though Trump has not specified what that money will be used for or where it will come from.

    “The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built right here in this room,” Trump said. However, these commitments represent only a small fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the war-torn territory.

    At the same time, five countries agreed on Thursday to deploy troops to Gaza as part of an international stabilization force, with two others committing to train police. The stabilization plan, which calls for 20,000 soldiers and 12,000 police officers, will initially deploy troops to Rafah to focus on reconstruction efforts. According to contracting records reviewed by the Guardian, the Trump administration plans to build a 5,000-person military base to serve as the force’s operating site.

    Although Thursday’s agenda for the Board of Peace centered on restoring stability to Gaza, Trump repeatedly invoked the body’s future role as an instrument of global conflict resolution—making some experts worry that the White House seeks to use the board to rival the United Nations.

    Read more in today’s World Brief: Trump’s Board of Peace Takes on Gaza.

    This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.

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