India attends Trump-hosted Board of Peace meeting as observer

US President Donald Trump (R) sits with US Vice President JD Vance as they attend the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on February 19, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

India on Thursday attended the inaugural Board of Peace meeting hosted by US President Donald Trump, underscoring New Delhi’s cautious but engaged approach. Chargé d’affaires CdA to US, Namgya C Khampa represented India as an observer at the US Institute of Peace.

The White House extended invitations to 50 countries to participate in President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, with around 26 nations ultimately signing on as founding members of the Gaza-focused initiative.

The board was unveiled on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum last month and is envisioned as a transitional international mechanism to oversee Gaza in the aftermath of the war. Its stated mandate includes maintaining stability, coordinating reconstruction efforts, and supporting civilian governance in order to prevent a security or political vacuum.

During the board’s inaugural meeting, the commander of the proposed international force revealed that several countries have already pledged personnel. According to CNN, US Army Major General Jasper Jeffers said five nations have committed troops to an International Stabilization Force that would deploy to Gaza under the framework of the US-brokered 20-point ceasefire agreement.

Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have agreed to contribute troops to the force, Jeffers said. He also announced that Indonesia would assume a senior leadership role within the mission.

“I have offered and Indonesia has accepted the position of deputy commander for the ISF,” Jeffers said, adding that Morocco would also provide personnel for the deployment.

Speaking at the meeting, former British prime minister Tony Blair praised Trump’s initiative, arguing that the Board of Peace offered a substantive alternative to past diplomatic efforts. He said the vision outlined for Gaza and the wider Middle East was “not a phony peace of declarations no one means and agreements no one intends to keep, but a genuine commitment to a region where whether you are a Muslim, Jew, Christian, of any faith or none, you can rise by your own efforts and feel your government by your side, not on your back”.

President Trump, also quoted by CNN, said multiple countries had already pledged substantial financial support for Gaza’s recovery. He stated that Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait together had committed more than $7 billion in relief funding.

Trump further noted that Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo and Kazakhstan “have all committed troops and police to stabilize Gaza.”