President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza is taking shape with ambitions to extend beyond the Israel-Hamas war, according to letters he sent to world leaders inviting them as “founding members.”
The letters, which were described in reporting as invitations sent to various world leaders, lay out a vision that the board could apply to a wider set of global conflicts. In the letters, Trump told leaders that the group would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict,” and wrote that the board would be established as a new “International Organization” and “Transitional Governing Administration.”
The invitation materials posted by Argentine President Javier Milei and Paraguay’s leader Santiago Peña, according to the report, said Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan—an element the letters described—was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. The same posts suggested the leaders involved might not be limited to Gaza, the story said, pointing to a possible broader remit.
Other leaders whose governments confirmed receiving invitation letters include Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was not immediately clear to the reporter how many other leaders would receive invitations, or which governments beyond those confirmations had been invited.
The report said the apparent goal of turning the Board of Peace into an international institution could be controversial and drew anticipated opposition from countries including China and Russia. It said those objections reflect both concerns about upsetting how major powers use the U.N. system and interests in maintaining the post-World War II international order, where China and Russia have veto power in the U.N. Security Council.
Daniel Forti, head of U.N. affairs at the International Crisis Group, criticized the effort in remarks relayed by the Associated Press. Forti said: “This is a U.S. shortcut in an attempt to wield its veto power on world affairs,” and added that the approach “allows the U.S. to really take the role it has on the Gaza-Israel file, where it’s able to shape things to its will and try to extend that to other conflicts.” Forti further said the idea “would give world leaders involved a sort of mechanism to try and sidestep longstanding agreements around sovereignty and territorial integrity in exchange for transactional deals.”
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration thinking, told AP that an expanded role for the Board of Peace remains “aspirational,” while Trump and his advisers believe it is possible. The official did not say the Board of Peace is intended to replace the United Nations, but suggested it could perhaps “galvanize” the world body into action.
The letters followed Trump’s social media post on Thursday, the report said, which said the Board of Peace had been formed and that the names of its members would be announced “shortly.” Officials in the story said a formal announcement is expected next week during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
The report also said the White House on Friday evening released names of some leaders overseeing next steps in Gaza, including an executive board. It said Israel’s government objected Saturday, saying it “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy.” The executive committee described in the report included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside business figures such as Marc Rowan, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and World Bank President Ajay Banga.
The Associated Press reported that the White House did not respond to a request for comment Saturday on Trump’s ambitions for the Board of Peace, and that the United Nations also did not immediately respond.