On Thursday in Washington, DC, President Donald Trump will convene the first meeting of his proposed Ga-za “Board of Peace,” a body tied to a 20-point ceasefire plan that took effect in October and was later ratified in Davos. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said more than 20 countries will attend, with around 25 initially signed on and about 60 invited. Founding members include leaders with arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court, among them Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Several leaders confirmed attendance, including Shehbaz Sharif, To Lam, and Prabowo Subianto, along with foreign ministers Gideon Sa’ar and Hakan Fidan. Antonio Tajani will attend as an observer. Officials say more than $5 billion has already been pledged for reconstruction, and troop contributions to a proposed stabilization force may be discussed. Trump ally Jared Kushner has presented redevelopment plans despite holding no formal government post.

Critics note the board’s charter reportedly does not mention Pales-tinians or Ga-za directly and excludes representation from Ham-as, which remains involved in talks through mediators Egypt and Qatar. European figures including Kaja Kallas and Jose Manuel Albares, as well as US senator Chris Murphy, have voiced concerns. Spain declined to join, the Vatican will not attend, and Canada had its invitation withdrawn. Analyst Michael Hanna of International Crisis Group said participation does not necessarily signal agreement with US policy.

Human rights voices have gone further. Former UN adviser Craig Mokhiber called the initiative a “criminal conspiracy,” while economist Yanis Varoufakis argued it could entrench conflict dynamics. Meanwhile, conditions on the ground remain tense: crossings such as Rafah face complaints of delays, aid missions to places like Khan Younis have reportedly been blocked, and violence has intensified in parallel with political maneuvering.