Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation to join US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace. A statement from his office said Netanyahu would become a member of the board 'which is to be comprised of world leaders.'
The board was originally thought to be aimed at helping end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction. But its proposed charter does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears to be designed to supplant functions of the UN.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have also agreed to join, as have Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam. Many others have expressed reservations.
It is not clear how many countries have been invited to join Trump's new body - Canada, Russia, Turkey, and the UK are among them, but have not yet publicly responded. Norway has said it will not join because the current proposal 'raises a number of questions,' while France and Sweden have indicated they will do the same.
According to a copy of the charter leaked to the media, member states will be given a renewable three-year term, but they can secure a permanent place if they contribute $1 billion (£740m) of funding to the board. The document states the Board of Peace will be 'an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.'
On Saturday, Netanyahu's office stated that the Gaza Executive Board's composition was 'not co-ordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.' The inclusion of representatives from Turkey and Qatar, who helped broker the ceasefire last year, was made 'over Israel's head.'
Despite the ceasefire and the board's intentions, significant challenges remain, such as Hamas’s demand for an independent Palestinian state and Israel’s ambiguity around its complete withdrawal from Gaza. Concerns also linger about the potential for renewed violence, as ongoing hostilities have led to numerous casualties on both sides since the ceasefire was established.
The board was originally thought to be aimed at helping end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction. But its proposed charter does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears to be designed to supplant functions of the UN.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have also agreed to join, as have Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam. Many others have expressed reservations.
It is not clear how many countries have been invited to join Trump's new body - Canada, Russia, Turkey, and the UK are among them, but have not yet publicly responded. Norway has said it will not join because the current proposal 'raises a number of questions,' while France and Sweden have indicated they will do the same.
According to a copy of the charter leaked to the media, member states will be given a renewable three-year term, but they can secure a permanent place if they contribute $1 billion (£740m) of funding to the board. The document states the Board of Peace will be 'an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.'
On Saturday, Netanyahu's office stated that the Gaza Executive Board's composition was 'not co-ordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.' The inclusion of representatives from Turkey and Qatar, who helped broker the ceasefire last year, was made 'over Israel's head.'
Despite the ceasefire and the board's intentions, significant challenges remain, such as Hamas’s demand for an independent Palestinian state and Israel’s ambiguity around its complete withdrawal from Gaza. Concerns also linger about the potential for renewed violence, as ongoing hostilities have led to numerous casualties on both sides since the ceasefire was established.
