WASHINGTON — Countries that want a permanent seat on President Trump’s new Gaza “Board of Peace” are expected to cough up $1 billion to help fund reconstruction efforts, the White House confirmed.
Temporary membership on the panel, however, does not have a “minimum membership fee,” the White House said.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” a draft charter sent to dozens of countries, first reported by Bloomberg, said.
“The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”
Trump is set to serve as the inaugural chairman of the Board of Peace and select which countries will sit on the panel.
The White House’s rapid response team appeared to confirm the $1 billion request, but stressed it is only for countries to gain permanent membership on the board.
“This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity,” the White House’s rapid response team posted on X.
The money raised from the $1 billion fee is reportedly intended to finance the Board of Peace’s efforts to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office raged that the “announcement by the US administration regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”
Israel appears to be upset about certain countries, such as Turkey and Qatar, reportedly landing spots on the Board of Peace.
Last week, special envoy Steve Witkoff announced it was moving into phase 2 of its three-stage Gaza peace plan.
Phase one, which was agreed to last October, saw Hamas release all of its living hostages and Israel scaling back its military presence, particularly in key densely populated areas.
Phase two, which is widely seen as much more challenging, calls for Hamas to disarm and cede control of the Gaza Strip to international peacekeepers and a new, technocratic government overseen by the Board of Peace.
The second phase is also where deradicalization and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip are supposed to take place. However, Hamas has been insistent that it won’t disarm.
Should Hamas agree to relinquish control, former Palestinian Authority bureaucrat Dr. Ali Sha’ath has been tapped as the leader of the technocratic government that is supposed to take shape in the Gaza Strip.
Sha’ath was hailed by the White House as “a widely respected technocratic leader who will oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily life in Gaza, while laying the foundation for long-term, self-sustaining governance.”
Despite Hamas refusing to disarm so far, “the goal here is to create the alternative to Hamas that wants that peace and to figure out how to empower them,” a White House official explained, The Post previously reported.
