Israel's Netanyahu Joins Trump’s Gaza Peace Board, World Divided as U.N. Faces Huge Test

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he will join Donald Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza, despite earlier criticism. The move comes as Trump pushes a wider vision for the body, sparking global debate over its scope and potential impact on the U.N.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that he will join U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace for Gaza, reversing earlier criticism from his office about the executive committee’s composition. The board, chaired by Trump, was initially conceived as a small group of leaders to oversee the Gaza ceasefire plan but has since expanded into a broader initiative.

Netanyahu’s office had previously objected to the inclusion of Turkey, a regional rival, saying the committee was “contrary to its policy.” Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, also opposed the idea, urging Israel to take unilateral responsibility for Gaza’s future.

Despite internal dissent, Netanyahu confirmed participation as other nations accepted invitations. The UAE, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Argentina have joined, while the UK, Russia, and the European Union have yet to respond. Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, hinted the board could one day replace the United Nations, though he later said the U.N. should continue because of its “great potential.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed Trump’s peace plan but rejected the notion of creating a body that would supplant the U.N. Trump, meanwhile, dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s reluctance to join, remarking Macron would be “out of office very soon,” before later calling him a “friend.”

The executive board includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.

Alongside this, the White House announced a Gaza Executive Board tasked with implementing the ceasefire’s second phase. Responsibilities include deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and rebuilding Gaza.

Former U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov will oversee daily operations. Other members include Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy, Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay, and Dutch politician Sigrid Kaag.