BEACHFRONT REAL ESTATE
US President Donald Trump announced that over $7bn was pledged to Gaza relief during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington.
The financial aid was pledged by nine nations, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. In addition, Trump stated the United States would contribute $10bn to the board.
This comes amid the second phase of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement, with hostilities paused since October 2025. The military stabilisation of the Gaza Strip also received focus during the meeting, which is a logical step given the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing and the consequential rise in movement on the ground.
Several countries committed troops to the International Stabilisation Force in Gaza. Morocco, Albania, Kosovo, and Kazakhstan "have all committed troops and police to stabilise Gaza," Trump said in his public address, adding that Egypt and Jordan "are likewise providing very, very substantial help, troops, training and support for a very trustworthy Palestinian police force." They follow the footsteps of Indonesia, which became the first country to decide to deploy troops to Gaza, with up to 8,000 troops expected.
Journalist Barak Ravid posted on X that, according to the Board of Peace Director General Nickolay Mladenov, recruitment to the Palestinian police force is already underway, with 2,000 Palestinians already applying to join the initiative. Italy is set to provide training to the Gaza police forces as the programme commences.
The initiative faces significant implementation challenges despite ambitious projections. As explained by CNN, the Board of Peace meeting featured presentations on Gaza's development potential, including FIFA's preview of "a complete football ecosystem", even as the vast majority of the enclave remains in ruins after nearly two years of conflict. Repeated violations of Trump's ceasefire persist, whilst the critical issue of Hamas demilitarisation remains unresolved, raising questions about when reconstruction and troop deployment can actually proceed.
Trump directed criticism at the United Nations and its authority. "The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly," he stated, suggesting potential expansion beyond Gaza. "We're also going to maybe take it a step further, where we see hot spots around the world, we can probably do that very easily."
Roughly four dozen countries attended Thursday's meeting, though only half hold board membership, with most European participants present as observers. Many traditional US allies declined membership over concerns about the board's broad mission. A senior European Union diplomat told reporters in Brussels, "It is clear there are issues with the Board of Peace," but acknowledged no alternative mechanism exists to shape Gaza's future.
Aaron David Miller, former Middle East negotiator for the US, told CNN the meeting appeared detached from reality, noting the demilitarisation plan is not ready for "prime time." He commented that "the money is no good if you can't spend it," citing Israeli government inspection requirements and ongoing military strikes as fundamental obstacles.
US officials and regional allies understand demilitarisation will be a long-term process, with expectations that the technocratic Palestinian government will facilitate Hamas discussions, though no timeline exists. Hamas made no mention of disarmament in its evening statement on February 19, instead calling on the international community to compel Israel to fully open Gaza crossings and begin reconstruction.
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, chaired by Ali Shaath, aims to "restore security via professional civilian police under one authority … including training and developing 5,000 Gazan police to be deployed in 60 days." However, the committee remains stuck in Cairo, unable to enter Gaza or implement decisions on the ground. Still, the reopening of the Rafah crossing could signify that travel may become a practical possibility shortly.
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