Trump’s Board of Peace Stalls as Middle-East Violence Escalates

The Board of Peace, launched in January 2024 by President Donald Trump, was tasked with overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction, and broader regional stability. Since its inception, hostilities have intensified: Israeli strikes have killed more than 900 Palestinians in Gaza, Israel has expanded its control from 53 % to 60 % of the Strip, a seven-month-old infant was killed in the West Bank, and the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon has claimed thousands of Lebanese lives and dozens of Israeli soldiers. A truce with Iran has collapsed into a diplomatic impasse and renewed exchanges of fire around the Strait of Hormuz.

iNewsTrump Is On A Losing Streak In The Middle East–And In America

Trump pledged $10 bn in U.S. aid and secured $7 bn pledges from Gulf Arab states, while 27 countries joined as members at an advertised cost of $1 bn each. He suggested the Board could “replace the UN” and become “one of the most consequential bodies ever created.” Despite these commitments, a project insider reported that “zero dollars have been deposited” into the World Bank-administered Gaza fund by late May.

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• Reported donations: $3 m from Morocco, $20 m from the United Arab Emirates; an additional $100 m from the UAE for a Gaza police force remains frozen.

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• Director-General Nickolay Mladenov receives a $400 k salary.

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• Over 90 % of Gaza’s homes were destroyed in the war.

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• The United Nations warned that “one in five families is eating only once a day.”

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• Casualties exceed 900 Palestinian deaths; Lebanese casualties number in the thousands, with dozens of Israeli soldiers killed.

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President Trump asserted that he is the Board’s primary driver and that member contributions are not subject to donor control. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described a planned “voluntary migration” of Palestinians as forthcoming “at the right time and in the right manner.” Hamas has insisted that any disarmament must be linked to the end of Israel’s occupation, a stance human-rights groups label collective punishment. The UN highlighted severe food insecurity across Gaza.

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Analyst Hugh Lovatt warned that the Board’s blend of private funds and American geopolitics “is a recipe for kleptocratic oligarchy.” HA Hellyer identified Israel’s support for anti-Hamas militias as a “major reason why Hamas refuses to disarm.” Dr Maria Ryan called the initiative “a Trump vanity project.” Dr Dafydd Townley criticized the Board’s short-termist approach and noted that the absence of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and other European powers “undermines its legitimacy.” Human-rights organisations argue that conditioning reconstruction on disarmament amounts to collective punishment.

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The World Bank is mandated to report on the Gaza fund, yet the Board’s JPMorgan account lacks independent transparency requirements. While insiders claim no funds have been deposited, the Financial Times cites specific donations from Morocco and the UAE. Palestinian technocrats report being barred from securing offices in Gaza, and heavy reconstruction equipment remains blocked at the border.

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• “Trump has made it clear that he is the main actor in the board and that once members have donated money, they have no control over what happens to it, so nobody has put their money in yet,” — Donald Trump

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• “The mixture of private investment funds with American power and geopolitics, combined with likely opaque decision-making and financial expenditure is a recipe for kleptocratic oligarchy,” — Hugh Lovatt, European Council of Foreign Relations

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• “One in five families is eating only once a day,” — United Nations

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• “You can’t expect that a group like that is going to down their weapons when the Israelis are on the one side and militias that they’ve armed on the ground are on the other.” — HA Hellyer, Royal United Services Institute

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• “Speaking to The i Paper, Dr Maria Ryan, Associate Professor of American History at the University of Nottingham, said: “It is hard not to see this as a Trump vanity project.” — Dr Maria Ryan, University of Nottingham

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Trump’s public focus on the Board has waned, and senior Israeli military leaders are pressing for a new offensive while plans to expel Palestinians continue. Without transparent financing and broader international participation, the Board’s legitimacy remains doubtful. Analysts suggest that any revival would require secured funding, independent oversight, and engagement of European powers to complement the United States’ role in the region.

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