US President Donald Trump has moved ahead with plans to establish a so-called “Board of Peace” for postwar Gaza. He has formally invited the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, and Canada to join the initiative.
The invitations were issued after Trump unveiled the panel’s core members, which include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and senior US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. In addition, Trump has named himself chairman of the body. He says the board will oversee governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
The initiative comes as Trump promotes a controversial economic redevelopment vision for Gaza. Gaza is a Palestinian territory left largely devastated after more than two years of sustained Israeli military operations. The board’s formation coincided with the first meeting in Cairo of a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with managing Gaza’s civil affairs. Kushner attended that meeting alongside Witkoff. They are continuing their months-long involvement in regional negotiations.
US President Donald Trump boasted it is the "Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place."
The Gaza "Board of Peace" will oversee the transitional government in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. https://t.co/z6mLz1HOQF
— DW News (@dwnews) January 17, 2026In Ottawa, a senior aide to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that Canada intends to accept Trump’s invitation. Meanwhile, in Ankara, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been asked to serve as a founding member of the board. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that Cairo is reviewing a request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join. Additionally, Argentine President Javier Milei publicly welcomed the invitation, calling participation in the initiative “an honour.”
In a statement, Blair thanked Trump for establishing the board and confirmed his role on its executive body. Blair remains a contentious figure in parts of the Middle East due to his involvement in the 2003 Iraq war. Trump himself acknowledged this concern last year, saying Blair’s appointment needed to be acceptable to all sides. After leaving office in 2007, Blair spent years working on Israeli-Palestinian issues as a representative of the Middle East Quartet.
According to the White House, the Board of Peace will focus on capacity-building for governance, reconstruction, regional relations, investment attraction, and large-scale funding mobilisation. Additional members include World Bank President Ajay Banga, US financier Marc Rowan, and Trump ally Robert Gabriel.
US President Donald Trump started setting out his proposed “Board of Peace” for post-war Gaza, including a main board, a Palestinian technocratic committee and an advisory executive body, with more members expected. Here is how it works and who has been invited pic.twitter.com/l1nrtqbRo7
— TRT World (@trtworld) January 17, 2026Alongside the main panel, Trump has also created a separate “Gaza executive board” intended to serve in an advisory capacity. However, it remains unclear which international figures have been assigned to each body. The White House has indicated that more appointments will be announced.
Washington says the Gaza plan has entered a second phase. It is shifting focus from enforcing a ceasefire to disarming Hamas following its October 2023 attack on Israel. On Friday, Trump appointed US Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead an International Stabilisation Force tasked with securing Gaza and training a new local police force. Jeffers previously oversaw monitoring efforts during a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Gaza native Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, has been named to head the local governing committee. Trump, who built his career in real estate, has previously floated the idea of transforming Gaza into a resort-style economic hub. However, he has since distanced himself from proposals to forcibly displace residents.
