PM Shehbaz invited to join Gaza ‘Board of Peace’
• FO confirms receipt of formal proposal; India, Egypt, Turkiye among states tapped for membership
• Charter envisions entity as UN rival, FT report says
• Trump may hold ‘indefinite chairmanship’
• Reports claim $1bn fee for ‘permanent seats’; White House says amount shows ‘commitment’
• US forms tiered governance for board despite Israeli objections
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been invited to join the Gaza “Board of Peace” after US President Donald Trump’s administration reached out to figures worldwide to sit on the board and related bodies overseeing governance and reconstruction in post-war Gaza.
“The prime minister of Pakistan has received the invitation from the president of the United States to join the Board of Peace on Gaza,” said FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi in response to media queries.
“Pakistan will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions,” he added.
The invitation to Pakistan follows similar overtures made to leaders across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Leaders who stated they have been invited to join the entity include Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Argentine President Javier Milei, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Indian PM Narendra Modi has also received an invite, the US envoy to New Delhi confirmed to the media on Sunday night.
Regional stakeholders and European leaders were also prominent on the list, including Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Romanian President Nicusor Dan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
‘UN’s rival’
The Trump administration plans to expand its “Board of Peace” into a permanent global entity to rival the UN, with potential membership requiring a $1 billion contribution, Financial Times reported.
According to a charter sent to prospective members, the board is designed to be a “more nimble and effective international peace-building body” chaired by Donald Trump himself.
The board would start by addressing the Gaza conflict and then be expanded to deal with other conflicts, According to the charter’s copy seen by Reuters.
While US officials said planning has focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict, discussions are underway to expand the board’s reach to other hotspots, including Ukraine and Venezuela.
Membership cost
The administration is soliciting memberships from approximately 60 nations. According to a draft charter cited by Reuters, countries must pay $1billion to secure permanent membership.
Nations that do not pay the fee would be limited to three-year terms, subject to renewal by the chairman. The White House disputed reports regarding a mandatory fee, calling them “misleading”.
“This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity,” the White House said in a statement on the social media platform X.
Meanwhile, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who’s now serving on the board’s executive panel, has avoided aligning with Trump’s $1bn call. According to a report by Bloomberg, Blair’s office said he would not publicly back this proposal, adding that further questions about the fee should be directed to the Trump administration.
Trump’s powers
The draft charter grants broad executive authority to Trump and allows him to serve as chairman indefinitely, subject only to voluntary resignation or removal due to incapacity confirmed by a unanimous board vote.
The document gives the chairman the authority to appoint and remove member states — decisions that would require a two-thirds majority vote to overturn. According to the text, Trump would hold effective veto power over board decisions. The charter states rulings will be “made by a majority of the member states present and voting, subject to the approval of the chairman”.
It also grants him the “exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities” to fulfill the board’s mission.
The charter critiques current international structures and advocates for pragmatic judgement, common sense, and courage to abandon often ineffective methods and institutions for lasting peace.
Diplomatic backlash
The proposal has drawn sharp caution from European capitals and concern from diplomats that the initiative could undermine the UN Charter.
Annalena Baerbock, president of the UN General Assembly, warned that undermining the existing international order presents grave risks.
“If we question that ... we fall back (into) very, very, dark times,” Baerbock told Sky News, noting that the UN remains the only institution with the moral and legal authority to unite all nations.
Governments also reacted largely with caution on Sunday. Hungary, led by a close ally of Trump, was the only nation to offer an unequivocal acceptance immediately.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her country was “ready to do our part”, though she did not specify if she was referring to the Gaza mandate or the broader global initiative. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he agreed to the board for Gaza in principle, with details still to be finalised.
Rights experts and advocates have criticised the structure, suggesting that Trump overseeing the governance of foreign territories resembles a colonial arrangement.
Israel’s objection
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling coalition partners Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza advisory panel formed by the White House, according to an official and media reports.
“The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter,” the statement added. Israel has previously objected strongly to any Turkish role in post-war Gaza.
Tiered structure
In the meantime, Washington established a hierarchical governance model for the Board of Peace and enlisted prominent American and international figures to lead efforts in regional stabilisation.
The announcement signals Phase Two of the administration’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” a 20-point roadmap backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. The structure includes five main bodies: Board of Peace, founding Executive Board, Gaza Executive Board, International Stabilisation Force, and a Palestinian-led administrative committee.
The “Board of Peace”, led by Trump, will oversee strategies and mobilise global resources, focusing on governance, regional relations, reconstruction, investment, and large-scale funding.
The foundational layer is the founding Executive Board, a seven-member group tasked with diplomacy, large-scale funding, and infrastructure strategy. The appointed members are: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel.
Supporting this group is the Gaza Executive Board, which is responsible for managing on-the-ground operations and civil services. This board includes several members of the founding board alongside regional representatives: Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Sir Tony Blair, Marc Rowan, and Nickolay Mladenov, Minister Hakan Fidan (Turkiye), Ali Al-Thawadi (Qatar), General Hassan Rashad (Egypt), Minister Reem Al-Hashimy (UAE), Cypriot-Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag.
Operational duties within the territory will be handled by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), led by Ali Shaath, a civil engineer and former Palestinian Authority minister. Shaath is tasked with restoring public services, rebuilding civil institutions, and overseeing the “stabilisation of daily life” in the territory. Nickolay Mladenov, a former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, will serve as High Representative for Gaza, acting as the primary link between the American-led Board of Peace and Shaath’s NCAG.
To enforce a “terror-free environment”, the White House announced the formation of the International Stabilisation Force. Major General Jasper Jeffers has been appointed commander of the force, where he will oversee demilitarisation and ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid.
Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2026