Israel agrees to join Trump's 'Board of Peace' as Western allies remain cautious

Israel's prime minister said he agreed to join U.S. President Trump's Board of Peace, while Norway and Sweden declined to join at this stage and several countries have given only cautious or no responses.

Israel's leader announced it will join U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace." The board was first described as a small group to oversee a Gaza ceasefire plan but the U.S. has since extended invitations to many nations and signalled a broader role. Some Western countries have raised concerns about the board's mandate and its relationship to the United Nations. Israel's earlier objections centred on the Gaza executive committee's composition, which includes Turkey, and joining could create tensions inside Israel's governing coalition. Key points: - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will join the Board of Peace as announced on Wednesday. - Norway's state secretary said Norway will not join at this stage and will not attend the Davos signing; Sweden said it would not sign up as the text currently stands and has not yet formally responded. - Azerbaijan and Kosovo also said they would join, while the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina were previously listed as joining; Bahrain and Egypt said on Wednesday they would also join. - Under the ceasefire deal, the board's Gaza executive committee would be responsible for implementing the second phase of the agreement, including deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, rebuilding Gaza and overseeing a committee of Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. - The White House listed a range of board and committee members, including U.S. envoys and several international figures, and named Nickolay Mladenov as the Gaza executive board's representative for day-to-day oversight; a separate founding executive committee was also named. - Many questions remain about how many leaders will be invited and how broad the board's mandate will be, and when asked if the board should replace the United Nations, President Trump was reported as saying, "It might." Summary: Netanyahu's decision to join formalises Israel's participation in the U.S.-led initiative while several Western allies have declined or signalled reservations. The board's expanded invitations and an unclear mandate have prompted diplomatic questions and drawn attention to how its role would relate to the United Nations. President Trump is expected to provide more details at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.