Trump Chairs the First 'Board of Peace' for Gaza — With Lifetime Tenure and a Veto

Trump convened the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on February 19, 2026, the governance body created under his 20-point Gaza plan covering reconstruction, disarmament and administration. Nearly 50 countries attended as members or observers. Nine member nations pledged $7 billion in relief funding alongside $10 billion from the United States, against reconstruction needs estimated at roughly $70 billion. Five countries agreed to contribute to a 20,000-soldier stabilization force, Jordan and Egypt committed to training police, and the administration plans a 5,000-person U.S. military base in Rafah. Trump serves as the board's chair for life, with veto authority, control of the agenda and the power to name his successor.

The structure places a sovereign territory's reconstruction and interim governance under a body personally controlled by a sitting U.S. president rather than under a multilateral mandate, which is the objection several allies raised.

Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom declined invitations over concerns about the governance model, and the Vatican also declined. Trump's invitation to Vladimir Putin drew further Western resistance. Critics said the body risks operating as a rival to United Nations authority.