Trump's Board of Peace Proposes $2.45 Billion Gaza Reconstruction Plan

The Board of Peace, an initiative associated with former U.S. President Donald Trump, has announced a $2.45 billion plan to initiate the reconstruction of Gaza. The funding, intended to cover 66 programs over a six-month period, will target critical areas such as housing, diesel generation, and waste removal.

The announcement was made during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Board of Peace Executive member Jared Kushner acknowledged that substantial additional donations are still necessary. While $18 billion has been pledged, only $280 million has been disbursed to date. The board estimates that full recovery and reconstruction will necessitate approximately $71.4 billion over the next decade.

Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, noted that the project has encountered various delays. "The goal of today was really just to show you that we're really fully committed to doing it," he stated during the meeting with board members and stakeholders.

Steve Witkoff, a U.S. envoy and member of the Gaza Executive Board, joined Kushner in New York and reported that the group has made "real progress" over the past year. He added, "All of the hostages are home. There is a ceasefire, imperfect as it may be, but it still exists. Humanitarian efforts have achieved historic results, with billions of dollars donated and pledged to meet urgent needs and support the long work of recovery."

Beyond fundraising, the plan faces significant hurdles, including ensuring security for personnel operating in Gaza, overhauling internal governance, and securing consensus between Israeli and Palestinian officials. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated at a separate press conference that several countries have pledged financial assistance and that the board is seeking further international participation.

Nickolay Mladenov, a senior official on the Board of Peace, previously expressed criticism in August regarding Israel's continued air strikes on Gaza and the actions of the Palestinian group Hamas. Mladenov had warned that a collapse of the ceasefire that began in October would be a "point of no return" for the region.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, at least 1,381 Palestinians, including 300 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire commenced. The Israeli military reported the deaths of five soldiers in combat and one contractor killed in an "operational accident" during the same period.

The Board of Peace was established as part of Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, unveiled in September of the previous year alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas had agreed to the return of all 48 remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and Gaza detainees, and to the concept of transferring governance to Palestinian technocrats. In July, Hamas stated it had accepted a disarmament plan for Gaza contingent on Israel ending "all forms of aggression" and withdrawing its forces, a proposal that was subsequently rejected by Netanyahu, who affirmed Israel's intention to remain in Gaza until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed. The Board of Peace, initially conceived as an international organization for Gaza, has since expanded its scope to address conflicts globally.