India Invited To Trump’s Gaza ‘Board Of Peace’: How Will This Body Function?

United States President Donald Trump has announced an international plan to reshape Gaza's political order after more than two years of war, centred on a new authority called the Board of Peace, which would run post-war governance and reconstruction. India is among the invited states, even as Palestinians hold only limited roles.

The Board of Peace sits inside Trump's 20-point "Comprehensive Plan" for a ceasefire and long-term settlement in Gaza. First unveiled in September last year, the proposal later gained support from several Arab governments, Israel, and European states, and secured formal United Nations backing through Security Council Resolution 2803 in November.

Trump's Board of Peace plan for Gaza

The White House says this new structure will "play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President's plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilising international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development." Officials describe it as the main tool for ending Hamas control and managing Gaza's transition.

Trump framed the initiative as the practical phase of earlier diplomacy. In a letter circulated by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, Trump wrote: "Now it is time to turn all of these Dreams into reality. At the heart of the Plan is The Board of Peace, the most impressive and consequential Board ever assembled, which will be established as a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration," the letter as seen by Firstpost, read.

Under this design, the Board of Peace would act both as an international organisation and as Gaza's interim governing authority. The body is expected to rebuild state institutions, restore local administration, attract investment, and direct economic revival after extensive damage from Israeli operations, while also overseeing security changes demanded in the ceasefire deal.

Board of Peace leadership and three-tier Gaza governance

To run Gaza's transition, the White House has set up a three-layer structure. At the top is the US-led Board of Peace, also called the Founding Executive Council. This body sets strategy, controls funding, and has final say over major policies, with Trump as chair and holding veto power.

The Founding Executive Council combines serving US officials, close Trump allies, and international figures who have taken pro-Israel positions. According to the plan, these individuals will supervise overall direction, select key staff, and coordinate with financial institutions for Gaza's reconstruction, while also evaluating compliance with the ceasefire's conditions.

Below this level sits the Gaza Executive Board, which manages day-to-day coordination and reconstruction efforts. It brings together regional governments and global organisations. This second tier is meant to link international oversight with practical projects in Gaza's cities and camps, including basic services, relief programmes, and infrastructure rebuilding.

The lowest tier is the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the only fully Palestinian-led body. This 12-member technocratic committee, headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Sha'ath, is charged with running civilian sectors such as health, education, water, finance, and housing, although its authority may be limited by higher boards.

Alongside civilian rule, the plan creates an "International Stabilisation Force" commanded by US General Jasper Jeffers. The force's mandate includes "permanent disarmament." It is supposed to manage security, support ceasefire monitoring, and back the NCAG's operations, though the full composition of the force has not yet been made public.

Board of Peace members and Gaza administration structure

The top Board of Peace / Founding Executive Council includes senior US officials and foreign leaders. Several members are noted for strong support of Israel and scepticism about Palestinian statehood, raising questions over how they will approach Gaza's political future and the balance between security priorities and Palestinian rights.

The Founding Executive Council membership announced so far is detailed below:

Rubio has long defended Israeli policies and earlier argued that critics of Israel should be denied US visas. Rubio also called Western recognition of Palestinian statehood a "reckless decision" that "only serves Hamas propaganda." Such positions are likely to influence Board of Peace debates on Gaza's political future.

Witkoff, a New York real estate developer now serving as US envoy, has led ceasefire efforts in Gaza. Last year, Witkoff was accused of walking away from talks after blaming Hamas for blocking a deal, an account disputed by Hamas official Basem Naim, who said Witkoff was "serving the Israeli position."

Kushner has previously claimed Palestinians cannot manage self-rule and once called Gaza "very valuable waterfront property." Kushner helped design the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states. Rowan, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, has backed pro-Israel advocacy groups, including the Israeli-American Council, which lobbies in the United States.

Ajay Banga, nominated to head the World Bank by Trump, earlier served at General Atlantic and Mastercard. Tony Blair remains contentious in West Asia due to support for the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Robert Gabriel Jr is included as US Deputy National Security Adviser, linking the Board of Peace to American security planning.

Two strategic advisers have also been added to support the Board of Peace. Aryeh Lightstone is linked to the Abraham Accords and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an aid group accused of mismanagement that allegedly led to Palestinian deaths while seeking food. Josh Gruenbaum has ties to past schemes that imagined Gaza as a "Middle East Riviera," emphasising real estate projects over refugee concerns.

The second-tier Gaza Executive Board brings together US officials, regional powers, and international representatives. According to the White House, this board is designed to "support effective governance" and secure the delivery of essential services, from electricity and water to health and education, during Gaza's reconstruction phase.

International invitations and funding for Board of Peace

The NCAG is tasked with running everyday civilian affairs, though many analysts question how much power it will hold under the Board of Peace system. The presence of foreign troops and the top-down authority of US-led councils mean that many key decisions may remain outside Palestinian hands.

The appointment of Major General Sami Nasman to oversee interior and internal security places an experienced security figure at the core of Gaza's policing under the new system. However, the reach of this role will depend on how responsibilities are shared with the International Stabilisation Force and Israel's security demands.

India features among a group of countries invited to engage with the Board of Peace initiative. Other invitees include Argentina, Canada, Egypt, Turkey, Albania, Cyprus, and Pakistan. This reflects Washington's attempt to build a broad coalition, even as it keeps final control with Trump and the Founding Executive Council.

Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that Pakistan's prime minister had been invited and said Islamabad would keep backing international efforts for peace and security in Gaza. Leaders from Brazil, Italy, Jordan, Hungary, and Romania have also publicly mentioned receiving invitations to join the Board of Peace framework.

Those leaders include Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Argentine President Javier Milei, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Romanian President Nicusor Dan, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

Trump has urged the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan to help supervise Gaza's post-war transition under the Board of Peace. Yet it is not clear which invitees will accept. Erdogan and Sisi have not confirmed participation, and several other governments have also stayed silent on whether they will join.

Bloomberg has reported that the Trump administration is asking countries to contribute at least $1 billion if they want permanent seats on the Board of Peace. States that prefer non-permanent membership would not need to pay this fee. A draft charter reportedly gives Trump wide power over who joins, renews, or gains final approval.

Israeli concerns over Board of Peace membership

Despite the US-led design, Israel has objected to several elements of the Board of Peace structure. The strongest criticism has focused on the presence of Turkey and Qatar on the Gaza Executive Board, which some Israeli officials believe could empower groups linked, in their view, to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the formation of the executive committee "was not coordinated with Israel." Netanyahu asked Israel's foreign minister to contact US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the issue. The statement underlined tensions between Washington and Jerusalem over who should influence Gaza's next phase.

Israeli media reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded a return to "full war" and "voluntary migration" rather than entrusting Gaza's future to an international board that includes Turkey. These comments highlight a faction in Israel that opposes any arrangement seen as limiting direct Israeli control.

Former National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror warned that allowing "Turkiye – led by a government sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood – into Gaza is a strategic error that would strengthen Hamas". Israel has also signalled wider concern about some of the world leaders picked for the Board of Peace, calling several appointments "contrary to its policy" without naming specific individuals.

Conditions in Gaza and future under Board of Peace

The Board of Peace is closely tied to the second stage of the US-brokered ceasefire. US envoy Steve Witkoff has already started "phase two" discussions, which aim to settle complex questions around rebuilding Gaza, disarming Hamas, and deploying an international security force to replace many current armed actors on the ground.

Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain severe. Most residents are living in damaged apartments or temporary tents that give poor shelter from winter conditions. Reports from aid agencies say some Palestinians have died from hypothermia during recent cold spells, underlining the urgency of reconstruction plans discussed by the Board of Peace.

More than two years of conflict have left much of Gaza's infrastructure destroyed. Israeli airstrikes and ground campaigns have wrecked large areas, while bulldozers have flattened whole neighbourhoods. Over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed during the fighting, and essential networks such as electricity, water, health, and schools have been badly affected.

The US ceasefire blueprint's second phase covers three unresolved issues: Hamas disarmament, Gaza's reconstruction schedule, and the make-up of the international security force. Hamas has so far refused to disarm, and the details of which countries will provide troops or funding for the stabilisation force remain unsettled.

While the White House presents the Board of Peace as a route to "reconstruction and prosperity," many observers point out that Palestinians have minimal influence at the highest decision-making level. Strategic calls rest largely with Trump, senior US officials, foreign leaders, and financiers serving on the upper boards.

Trump's Board of Peace marks one of the largest international attempts to shape Gaza's governance in recent decades, placing wealthy investors, former Western leaders, and pro-Israel policymakers at the top. Supporters see a chance for coordinated rebuilding, while critics argue that the structure raises serious questions over accountability, representation, and whose interests the plan will ultimately protect.