U.S. President Donald Trump announced that nine countries have pledged $7 billion toward rebuilding Gaza and that five nations have agreed to contribute troops to a proposed international stabilization force, as he convened the inaugural meeting of his newly formed Board of Peace in Washington, DC.
Speaking at Thursday’s session, Trump said the United States would commit $10 billion to the Board of Peace, though he did not provide details on how the funds would be allocated.
According to Trump, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait have made initial financial commitments to support Gaza’s reconstruction.
“Every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of a new and harmonious [region],” said Trump. He added, “The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built right here in this room.”
While the pledges mark a substantial show of support, they fall well short of the estimated $70 billion required to rebuild Gaza after more than two years of war that has left much of the territory devastated.
In addition to financial commitments, Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have agreed to provide troops for a proposed stabilization force — a central element of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict. Egypt and Jordan have pledged to assist by training Palestinian police officers.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said his country would deploy up to 8,000 troops “to make this peace work.”
The envisioned force, to be led by a U.S. general with an Indonesian deputy, would initially operate in the Israeli-controlled city of Rafah. Its mandate includes training a new Palestinian police service, with a long-term target of preparing 12,000 officers and fielding 20,000 troops.
Disarmament of Hamas remains a key component of Trump’s broader peace framework. However, the group has resisted surrendering its weapons while Israeli military operations continue in Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said any international presence must “monitor the ceasefire and prevent the [Israeli] occupation from continuing its aggression.” He indicated that disarmament could be discussed but stopped short of offering a firm commitment.
Trump first floated the idea of the Board of Peace last September as part of efforts to halt the war. Since the October ceasefire, however, he has expanded its scope, envisioning a body that could eventually address other global conflicts.
The initiative has drawn criticism for including Israeli representatives while excluding Palestinian officials from formal membership.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud said many Palestinians are skeptical of new pledges without concrete follow-through.
“Past experiences with conferences, with regard to reconstruction, with regard to the peace process, all ended up with large needs for funding that were delayed or [plans] that were not implemented,” he said.
“Palestinians don’t want to see this again; they don’t want to see the Board of Peace as another international body that falls into the category of crisis management rather than finding a tangible solution to this longstanding problem, the Palestinian problem,” Mahmoud noted.
More than 40 countries, along with the European Union, sent representatives to the meeting. Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom were among more than a dozen nations participating as observers rather than full members of the board.
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