In a move that’s sparking both hope and controversy, Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has secured over $7 billion in pledges for Gaza relief—but not everyone is convinced this is the solution the region needs. Just moments ago, the U.S. president announced that several countries aligned with his Board of Peace initiative have committed a staggering $7 billion (£5.2 billion) to a Gaza "relief package." But here’s where it gets controversial: this effort comes amid widespread skepticism, as many of America’s Western allies—including the UK, Canada, France, and Germany—have refused to join the board. Their concern? That this body, originally intended to help end the Israel-Hamas conflict, might overshadow or even replace the United Nations. And this is the part most people miss: Trump insists the board will work closely with the UN, but critics remain unconvinced.
The announcement came during the board’s inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C., where Trump expressed cautious optimism about Hamas disarming. Yet, on the ground, there’s little evidence to suggest the Palestinian group is relinquishing control. In fact, Gazans report that Hamas is expanding its grip on the Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed this tension, stating unequivocally that Israel will not allow Gaza’s reconstruction until the territory is fully demilitarized.
The conflict itself began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has since resulted in over 72,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The humanitarian crisis is dire: Gaza’s economy lies in ruins, its infrastructure decimated, with the UN estimating damages at a staggering $70 billion.
Trump’s relief package, funded by countries like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait, is billed as an "investment in stability." The UN is set to contribute $2 billion for humanitarian aid, while FIFA has pledged $75 million for soccer-related projects. But is this enough? Nickolay Mladenov, the board’s high representative for Gaza, has begun recruiting a new transitional Palestinian police force, but both Israel and the U.S. insist this force must be entirely independent of Hamas—a daunting task that essentially requires starting from scratch.
Here’s the real question: Can a new security force truly oversee Hamas’s disarmament, especially when Hamas itself shows no signs of cooperating? So far, Hamas has publicly tied any disarmament to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, a condition that complicates Trump’s ambitious plans for reconstruction and governance. Without a security force that enjoys broad Palestinian support, none of these proposals can move forward. And this is where Trump’s approach—often framed through the lens of real-estate development and investor funding—faces its toughest test.
Israel’s leadership, meanwhile, remains wary of Trump’s strategy, particularly his inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in the board—countries Israel views with suspicion. Trump defends his methods as "new thinking," but Mladenov warns that without swift progress, Gaza risks remaining divided: one part under Israeli occupation, the other under Hamas control, and both isolated from the West Bank. Such a scenario would render a future independent Palestinian state unviable, leaving neither Palestinians nor Israelis truly secure.
Is Trump’s Board of Peace a bold step toward stability, or a misguided attempt to rewrite the rules of international diplomacy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is one debate you won’t want to miss.
