US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a 'Board of Peace' in, describing it as a key phase-two step in a US-backed plan aimed at ending the war in the region.
This comes months after Israel and Hamas reached a fragile ceasefire following two years of conflict.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The Members of the Board will be announced shortly, but I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place,” he added.
Almost an hour later, in another post, Trump announced that “we have OFFICIALLY entered the next phase of Gaza’s 20-Point Peace Plan,” citing special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“As Chairman of the Board of Peace, I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the Board’s High Representative, to govern Gaza during its transition,” he wrote on Truth Social. "These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a PEACEFUL future!”
Trump said that with Egypt, Turkey and Qatar’s support, the U.S. will secure a “COMPREHENSIVE Demilitarization Agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of ALL weapons, and the dismantling of EVERY tunnel.”
“Hamas must IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization,” Trump continued. “As I have said before, they can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is NOW. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” he added.
Witkoff had announced the news of the second phase on Wednesday, “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” he wrote on X. He added that Hamas is expected to “fully comply with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage.”
“Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,” Witkoff said.
Israel-Gaza ceasefire
Phase one, part of a 20-point proposal unveiled by Trump, began on October 10 last year and focused on halting hostilities, facilitating humanitarian aid and securing the return of hostages held by Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups. All hostages have now been returned, with one exception: the remains of Israeli Ran Gvili.
Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the handover of Gvili’s body, while Hamas has said the extensive destruction in Gaza has complicated recovery efforts. Gvili’s family urged mediators to delay the transition to phase two.
Despite the ceasefire in place, Israel carried out strikes that killed nine in Gaza on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Witkoff’s announcement largely symbolic and called the governing committee of Palestinians announced as part of the second phase as a “declarative move.”
Hamas has accused Israel of repeated ceasefire violations, including air strikes, firing on civilians and advancing the so-called “Yellow Line,” an informal boundary separating areas under Israeli military control from those under Hamas authority.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli forces had killed 451 people since the ceasefire took effect. Israel’s military has said it targeted suspected militants who crossed into restricted zones near the Yellow Line, adding that militants also killed three Israeli soldiers during the same period.
Humanitarian agencies have also said that Israel has not permitted the volume of aid envisaged under phase one, a claim Israel rejects. Gaza continues to face acute shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel, with Israel and the United Nations disputing figures on the number of aid trucks allowed into the territory.
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