Trump announces formation of Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ under US-backed phase two of plan – What we know so far

US President Donald Trump has announced the formation of a Gaza “Board of Peace,” marking the formal launch of phase two of a United States–backed framework aimed at ending the war in the Palestinian territory. The announcement, made Thursday, signals a shift from ceasefire management to post-war governance and reconstruction, even as major political and security disputes remain unresolved.

Peace board unveiled on Truth Social

Trump revealed the development in a post on the Truth Social platform, framing the “Peace Board” as both historic and prestigious.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump first proposed the Board of Peace in 2025 as a transitional authority to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and supervise a technocratic panel of Palestinian administrators tasked with day-to-day governance.

Trump backs Palestinian technocratic government and demands Hamas disarmament

Donald Trump said the United States had “officially entered” the next phase of its 20-point Gaza peace plan, outlining a transition towards technocratic Palestinian governance and demanding the full demilitarisation of Hamas.

In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the shift to the new phase followed what he described as “record levels” of humanitarian assistance delivered to Gaza since the ceasefire, claiming aid had reached civilians at an “historic speed and scale”. He added that the United Nations had acknowledged the effort as “UNPRECEDENTED”.

Trump said the humanitarian progress had laid the groundwork for the transition phase, under which Gaza would be governed by a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. He said the committee would operate under the supervision of the Board of Peace, which he chairs, and would be supported by the board’s High Representative.

Describing the Palestinian leaders involved as “unwaveringly committed to a PEACEFUL future”, Trump said the interim arrangement was intended to guide Gaza through a period of political and administrative transition.

The US president also reiterated demands for the complete demilitarisation of Hamas, saying Washington was working with Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to secure what he called a “COMPREHENSIVE Demilitarization Agreement”. This would include the surrender of all weapons and the dismantling of every tunnel in Gaza.

Trump said Hamas must “IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments”, including the return of what he described as the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay towards full disarmament. Repeating a warning he has issued previously, Trump said Hamas could comply “the easy way, or the hard way”.

“The people of Gaza have suffered long enough,” he wrote. “The time is NOW.”

Structure and international role

According to officials familiar with the plan quoted by AFP, the Peace Board for Gaza is expected to include international figures, with representation from Arab states, and Trump has indicated he intends to chair it himself. The body would exercise oversight over a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, designed to operate independently of armed factions.

Trump had earlier suggested that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair would be involved, but Blair later withdrew from the initiative following criticism, particularly over concerns that the framework sidelines Palestinian self-determination.

The proposal has faced pushback from Palestinian groups and international observers who argue that it risks imposing external governance on Gaza without a clear pathway to an independent Palestinian state.

Phase two begins amid unresolved tensions

The Board of Peace announcement comes as the broader US-backed plan formally enters its second phase, despite lingering disputes between Israel and Hamas over alleged ceasefire violations and obligations left unmet during the first stage.

Phase one, part of a 20-point proposal unveiled by Trump, began on 10 October 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.

“Moving on breaks my heart. Have we given up? Ran did not give up on anyone,” his sister, Shira Gvili, said after mediators confirmed the move.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said efforts to recover the remains would continue, but has not publicly commented on the launch of the second phase.

Ceasefire violations and humanitarian concerns

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 say 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.

Governance and disarmament at the heart of phase two in Gaza

Under phase two, Gaza is to be administered by a Palestinian technocratic committee operating under the supervision of the Board of Peace. Hamas has signalled conditional support for the committee’s role.

“The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,” Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said on Thursday.

Mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar have said Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, has been appointed to lead the committee. Egyptian state television later reported that all committee members had arrived in Egypt and begun preparatory meetings ahead of entry into Gaza.

Al-Qahera News, which is close to Egypt’s state intelligence services, said the move followed US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff’s announcement on Wednesday “of the start of the second phase and what was agreed upon at the meeting of Palestinian factions in Cairo yesterday”.

Shaath has said the committee would rely on “brains rather than weapons” and would not coordinate with armed groups.

Demilitarisation and withdrawal remain sticking points

Steve Witkoff has said phase two of the Gaza peace plan aims for the “full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza,” including the disarmament of all unauthorised armed factions. He added that Washington expected Hamas to meet its remaining obligations, including the return of Gvili’s body, warning that failure to do so would bring “serious consequences”.

The plan also envisages the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.

(With inputs from agencies)