File photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with US President Donald Trump (Picture credit: AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he had agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace”, marking a shift from his earlier criticism of the body overseeing the Gaza ceasefire.The decision comes after Netanyahu’s office had objected to the composition of the Gaza executive committee, saying it was not coordinated with Israel and ran “contrary to its policy”, without detailing specific concerns.
The committee includes Turkey, a key regional rival of Israel, which had drawn criticism from Netanyahu’s aides earlier.The board, chaired by Trump, was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. However, its scope has since expanded, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of countries and suggesting the body could broker global conflicts in the future.As per news agency AP, Netanyahu’s move could create political friction at home. Far-right allies in his coalition, including finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, have criticised the board and called for Israel to take unilateral responsibility for Gaza’s future.Trump’s announcement comes as he travels to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to provide more details on the board. When asked earlier this week whether the board could replace the United Nations, Trump said, “It might,” while also adding that the UN should continue because “the potential is so great”, a remark that has sparked controversy.France has publicly pushed back against the idea. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris supports Trump’s peace plan but opposes creating an organisation that would replace the UN.
Who has joined — and who is yet to decide
According to AP, countries that have agreed to join the board include the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina, along with Israel. Others, including the United Kingdom, Egypt, Russia, Turkey and the European Union’s executive arm, have said they received invitations but have not yet responded.Prime Minister Modi has also received an invitation.Under the ceasefire deal, the Gaza executive committee will oversee the second phase of the agreement, including deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza, while supervising a committee of Palestinian technocrats to manage day-to-day affairs.
