Turkey is expected to be among the countries invited to join an international body tasked with overseeing Gaza’s postwar governance and reconstruction, according to a report that says US President Donald Trump will announce the initiative next week.
US news website Axios reported that the Gaza Board of Peace is planned as part of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington and regional mediators in October and will be chaired by Trump.
The board is expected to include some 15 world leaders and supervise the formation of a Palestinian technocratic government as well as coordinate reconstruction efforts in the war-ravaged territory.
Along with Turkey, countries expected to take part include the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, according to the report, which cited two US officials and two sources with direct knowledge of the plan.
Invitations are said to be in the process of being sent to key governments.
US officials warned that the plan could still change depending on developments in other areas of Trump’s foreign policy agenda, including efforts related to Venezuela and negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The White House declined to comment on the report.
Former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov is expected to serve as the board’s representative on the ground.
The report said Mladenov is visiting Israel this week for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials ahead of Trump’s planned announcement.
According to the report Netanyahu’s agreement during a recent meeting with Trump to move forward with the second phase of the ceasefire helped pave the way for the initiative.
The ceasefire formally took effect on October 10, following a two-year Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
Under the agreement Israel and Hamas committed to a phased process that includes a halt to major fighting, the release of hostages and prisoners, expanded humanitarian access and, in later stages, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the creation of an interim governing authority backed by an international stabilization force.
But progress toward the second phase has been slow, and the truce has remained fragile.
The first meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace could take place later this month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to Axios.
Axios was launched in 2016 by former Politico journalists Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz. It covers business, politics, technology, healthcare and media.