Trump forms Board of Peace as Gaza ceasefire moves to next phase

President Trump announced the formation of an international Board of Peace to oversee Gaza as the US moves into the second phase of a 20-point ceasefire plan, and a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee has been named to handle day-to-day administration.

President Trump announced the creation of an international Board of Peace to help govern the Gaza Strip as the US says the ceasefire deal with Israel and Hamas is entering its second phase. The administration says the board will be chaired by Trump with former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov serving as a liaison to a Palestinian National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG). Mediators have produced a 15-member technocratic Palestinian committee, led by Ali Shaath, to manage Gaza’s daily administration and urgent relief needs. US officials describe the second phase as focused on demilitarization and reconstruction, while some key details on disarmament and reconstruction timelines remain unresolved. Key points: - President Trump announced he has formed a Board of Peace and said he will chair it, with Nickolay Mladenov expected to serve as liaison to the Palestinian committee. - The US has reported commitments from several countries including Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, the UK, Italy and Germany to join the board and said invitations were sent with a strong response. - The administration plans to hold the board’s first meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to reports. - US envoy Steve Witkoff described the second phase as centring on full demilitarization and reconstruction, and said the US expects Hamas to comply, including by returning the final deceased Israeli hostage identified as Ran Gvili. - The Palestinian National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG) is reported to have 15 members and to be led by Ali Shaath; mediators said the list was endorsed by both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and that the committee will handle sanitation, infrastructure and education. - Remaining challenges include how Hamas would be disarmed and how long reconstruction will take; a 2025 UN report found rebuilding Gaza’s homes could take many years. Summary: The announcement advances the ceasefire plan into a phase emphasising demilitarization and rebuilding while setting up new international and Palestinian bodies to administer Gaza. Reported next steps include a planned board meeting in Davos and the public announcement of additional board members, but major questions about disarmament and reconstruction timelines remain.