India has been invited to join a new international body called the Board of Peace, set up by US President Donald Trump to guide the peace process in Gaza. The invitation has raised many questions about the board’s role and the conditions for membership. Accepting the invite would mean India joins an organisation where Trump serves as head personally. The board’s expanded charter now goes beyond Gaza and aims to influence global conflict resolution.
India invited to Trump’s Board of Peace: What it means
Trump first announced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza last September. It proposed that Gaza be run temporarily by a technocratic Palestinian committee, supervised by an international body called the Board of Peace, initially approved by the UN.
However, the board’s current charter calls itself a new international organisation for peace-building worldwide, not just in Gaza. Countries invited include Hungary, Albania, Greece, Canada, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Paraguay, and Argentina, with India being among them. Pakistan had reportedly been invited earlier.
Joining the Board would put India in an important position, as it involves its sovereignty and being part of a new international group led by Trump personally.
Will India pay $1 billion for Trump’s peace board?
Countries joining the board can become permanent members if they contribute $1 billion in the first year, according to a CNN reporting citing one US official. The funds are meant for Gaza’s reconstruction, not for administrative salaries, according to the proposed plan. “All funds raised will go toward rebuilding Gaza,” the official said. “There will not be exorbitant salaries and massive administrative bloat that plagues many other international organisations.” Countries that do not pay the $1 billion will have three-year terms, the official added.
So far, around 60 countries have received invitations, with Hungary confirming participation. India is yet to confirm the acceptance of the invitation.
All you need to know about Trumps board of peace
The original UN-approved plan had the Board operating only until 2027 and only in Gaza. The new charter, sent to India and posted on X by US Ambassador Sergio Gor, calls the Board “the most impressive and consequential Board ever assembled.”
It describes the Board as a new international organisation and transitional governing administration. The charter has 13 Articles, detailing membership, contributions, and dispute resolution, similar to the UN, but it does not specifically mention Gaza. It emphasises creating a more nimble and effective international peace-building body.
Trump as Chairman
The Board will be chaired by Donald J. Trump personally, not in his role as US President. The charter states he can only be removed if he resigns voluntarily or if the Executive Board unanimously votes him incapable, in which case he appoints a successor. Accepting the invite means a country agrees to join an organisation headed by Trump, even if he is not the President.
“Donald J. Trump shall serve as inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace, and he shall separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America,” the charter says.
A key part of the US-backed plan for Gaza
The panel is being described as an important step in a United Nations-backed American plan aimed at demilitarising and rebuilding Gaza, which has been left devastated after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. The White House said on Thursday that every member of the panel will be assigned a specific role that is “critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success.”
However, the board does not include any representative from the Palestinian Authority. Under the US plan, the everyday administration of Gaza will not be handled directly by this panel. Instead, it will be managed by a Palestinian technocratic committee. To support this setup, a separate body called the “Gaza executive board” has been formed. This group includes officials from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, along with some members drawn from the Board of Peace and the technocratic committee.
Who is on the Executive Board?
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff
- Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner
- Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
- American businessman Marc Rowan
- World Bank Group President Ajay Banga
- US National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel