Trump Unveils Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos and Lauds Overseas Accomplishments 

President Donald Trump has officially launched his Gaza Board of Peace, amid concerns from European nations over its membership and the potential involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Returning to the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday morning, Trump was joined by the board’s newly-announced members, many of whom hail from the Middle East and South America. The U.S. President said he was honored to be the chairman of what could be “one of the most consequential bodies ever created.”

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

There was a notable lack of leaders from Western European nations with Trump on stage. The U.K. had earlier expressed reservations about the possibility of Putin being involved. Despite receiving an invitation, Putin is thought to be still considering.

Trump sparked concerns earlier in the week when he suggested his board “might” replace the United Nations, but he somewhat backtracked on that, instead presenting the board as having “tremendous potential with the United Nations.” Sharing his hopes for the new organization, he said: “We’ll work with many others, including the U.N.” The United Nations adopted the U.S.-penned resolution establishing the Board of Peace in November.

Other concerns related to the board center on the charter draft which reportedly states that while nations who accept the invitation will be given a three-year membership term, permanent membership will be given to member states that contribute $1 billion in cash within the first year.

Sidestepping the mounting reservations, Trump instead celebrated a new dawn for Gaza. The Israel-Hamas war is “really coming to an end,” he said, before delivering a stark warning to Hamas, who must disarm. Referring to Hamas as being made up of people “born with rifles in their hands,” he said: “They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them.”

The President also called for Hamas to release the final deceased Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili.

Speaking about Gaza, Trump referred to himself as a “real estate person at heart” and referenced the placement of the territory. “I said look at this location on the sea. People that are living so poorly are going to be so well, but it all began with the location.”

The Board of Peace announcement comes a week after Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of “Phase Two” of the Gaza cease-fire plan, officially embarking on the “demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction” of the territory.

Phase One encountered setbacks due to Hamas not handing over the final deceased hostage and the Israeli airstrikes that occurred after the cease-fire came into effect in October.

Moving forward, the Board of Peace will provide oversight to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), who will oversee the day-to-day rebuilding efforts. As announced last week, the committee will be headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.

Ahead of the official signing and ratification of the Board of Peace, Trump went through a long list of, what he views to be, his accomplishments overseas.

Praising the “unrivalled skill set of the U.S. Military,” he looked back on last year’s strikes against three key nuclear sites in Iran. “Iran does want to talk, and we’ll talk,” he added, in an apparent reference to the U.S. retreating after initially threatening to take action over the deadly Iran protests. Trump also lauded his recent Venezuela operation, which resulted in the capture and detainment of fallen President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Turning his attention back to the members of his board, Trump referred to the signatories as “great people, great leaders” and said the organization is already “running beautifully.”

While it’s been noted that other members may sign at a later date, you can see the full list of today’s Board of Peace signatories, below.

• Argentina: President Javier Milei
• Armenia: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
• Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev
• Bahrain: Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
• Bulgaria: Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov (Serving in a caretaker capacity after his resignation)
• Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orban
• Indonesia: President Prabowo Subianto
• Jordan: Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi
• Kazakhstan: President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev
• Kosovo: President Vjosa Osmani
• Mongolia: Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar
• Morocco: Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita
• Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
• Paraguay: President Santiago Pena
• Qatar: Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani
• Saudi Arabia: Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al‑Saud
• Turkey: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
• United Arab Emirates: Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority Khaldoon Al Mubarak
• Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev

The “New Gaza”

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, outlined the board’s vision for Gaza’s reconstruction, displaying mock-ups of high-rises across the enclave’s seafront. He proposed the introduction of different zones to promote “coastal tourism” and economic prosperity.

“New Gaza, it could be a hope. It could be a destination, have a lot of industry, and really be a place that the people there can thrive,” said Kushner, estimating that some construction could be completed within the next two to three years.

Expressing total confidence in the proposal, he said “we don’t have a ‘Plan B,’” just a “master plan.”

The proposal was bolstered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the board as a “new era and a new stage.” He went on to suggest the board could make an impact beyond Gaza, stating that “it will serve as an example of what’s possible in other parts of the world.”

Kushner and Rubio will both serve on an “Executive Board” intended to “operationalize the Board of Peace’s vision.”

They will be joined by Witkoff, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, president of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga, national security adviser Robert Gabriel, and Marc Rowan, the CEO of Apollo Global Management, one of the biggest U.S. private equity firms.

According to the White House, each Executive Board member will “oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization.”