India not likely to join Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza meeting on Feb 19: Report

While US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza has been joined by many countries – including Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE – with great fanfare, India is yet to make a decision. 

According to a report in The Economic Times, India is unlikely to participate in the inaugural meeting of the board, scheduled for February 19. India is still examining the proposal, sated the report. 

India heard views from the Arab League countries during the recently concluded India-Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting but is yet to decide on its own course of action. The issue will also be on agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Israel later this month. It assumes great importance as India has consistently advocated a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, and hence would need particular deftness. 

Another challenge would be the presence of Pakistan and Turkey on the board. 

WHAT IS TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE?

The United States has outlined the next step in its strategy to resolve the Gaza conflict. The plan, endorsed by Israel and Hamas, includes forming an international 'Board of Peace' to govern Gaza during the transition. The Board of Peace will prioritise urgent relief for Gaza, including housing for displaced Palestinians, amid ongoing hostilities and complex negotiations.

Several countries signed the charter for the Board of Peace at Davos earlier this year. These include Pakistan, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia.

Trump, positioning himself as chairman, described the Board of Peace as having broad global support. He noted that "everybody" wants to be part of the board, and said he would "work with many others, including the United Nations." He stated that the board "has the potential to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created." Trump said he was "honoured" to lead the initiative and added that "it is running beautifully." 

He also said the Board of Peace "can do pretty much whatever we want to do" but stressed it would operate in conjunction with the United Nations. Trump described the move as "something very, very unique for the world" and called it "the first step toward a brighter day for the Middle East."

A central part of the new phase of Trump’s plan is the creation of a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, tasked with demilitarisation and reconstruction. Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, stated that phase two "establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza" and will begin "the full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorised personnel." 

The new administration, led by Ali Shaath, will have 15 members, according to mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

Ali Shaath has proposed using rubble to create new land by relocating it to the sea, suggesting, "I can win new land for Gaza and at the same time clear the rubble. This won't take more than three years." A United Nations report in 2024 estimates that rebuilding Gaza’s homes could take until 2040 or longer, given the extent of destruction and uncertainty around reconstruction.