Trump to hold signing ceremony at Davos for Gaza Board of Peace

Washington had so far issued 52 invitations to a wide range of governments spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.

By JNS

A signing ceremony for President Donald Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace will be held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Axios reported on Tuesday.

The signing ceremony for the board’s Charter, set to be held at the Davos Congress Center with the participation of heads of state, is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. EST), according to the U.S. news website, which shared a copy of the official invitation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among the some 50 leaders invited to join the board, which Trump will chair.

The U.S. president has said that the body will “solidify peace in the Middle East” through a “new approach to resolving global conflict.”

According to the invitation letter, which was first shared on X by Argentine President Javier Milei on Saturday, the proposed board will be at the center of Trump’s Gaza peace plan and would be established as a “new international organization” to temporarily govern the enclave.

“Our effort will bring together a distinguished group of nations ready to shoulder the noble responsibility of building lasting peace,” Trump said in the missive to Milei, calling membership of the international body an “honor reserved for those prepared to lead by example” and “brilliantly invest in a secure and prosperous future for generations to come.”

While the organization’s efforts will initially focus on the Gaza Strip, the body “is like a new United Nations,” Netanyahu told Knesset lawmakers during a debate on Monday, Israel Hayom reported. He added, “I was invited to it, and so was [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan.”

Bloomberg reported on Monday that Washington had so far issued 52 invitations to a wide range of governments spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, as well as to the European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch.

Hungary and Vietnam have accepted invitations to take part, according to the Associated Press. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have also agreed to join, Reuters reported.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI also agreed to become a founding member, the North African nation announced.

Argentine President Javier Milei said he had accepted the White House’s invitation, while Canada has also agreed to join the body “in principle,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told local media on Jan. 18.

In addition, Israeli media reported Saturday that U.S. officials have told diplomats that Trump secured the participation of Egypt, Germany, Italy, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

It was not immediately clear if the Jewish state had agreed to join.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday slammed the inclusion of Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt in Trump’s Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace and will advise its members.

The announcement of the board’s establishment “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” according to the statement.

It added that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was instructed to discuss the matter with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, who was named on Friday as a founding member of the Executive Board.

“We have a certain argument with our friends in the United States over the composition of the Executive Board that will oversee the processes in Gaza,” Netanyahu confirmed in his Knesset speech on Monday.

However, he vowed, the Hamas terrorist organization will be disarmed “either the easy way or the hard way,” and Jerusalem will not allow any Qatari or Turkish soldiers to enter Gaza under Trump’s peace plan.

The premier claimed his government had secured a diplomatic achievement by defying Trump’s demand that Doha and Ankara “enter Gaza and run it like owners,” saying the two countries ended up “barely members of the committee and with no influence” following negotiations he led.

Israel Hayom cited political sources as saying last year that Netanyahu’s mention of “new threats” in a Knesset speech on Oct. 20 referred to the growing influence of Turkey and Qatar. Trump is said to hold Ankara and Doha in high regard, while Israel views them as harmful actors.