Trump Schedules Gaza Reconstruction Board Summit Feb. 19 in DC/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The White House is planning a Feb. 19 leaders meeting in Washington for the Gaza “Board of Peace.” The gathering is expected to focus on implementing the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire and raising reconstruction funds. The initiative has drawn skepticism from allies over its structure and Trump’s veto power.
White House Gaza Board of Peace Meeting – Quick Looks
- First Board of Peace leaders meeting planned for Feb. 19
- Focus on Gaza ceasefire implementation and reconstruction funding
- Board chaired by Trump with 27 current members
- Some allies skeptical of board’s authority and structure
- Netanyahu may attend following White House meeting
- Demilitarization talks with Hamas moving slowly
Deep Look: Trump Schedules Gaza Reconstruction Board Summit Feb. 19 in DC
WASHINGTON — The White House is planning to host the first leaders meeting of the Gaza “Board of Peace” on Feb. 19 in Washington, according to a US official and diplomats from four countries involved in the initiative.
The meeting is expected to serve two purposes: advancing implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and launching a fundraising effort for postwar reconstruction. US officials say the plans remain in early stages and could still change.
A US official described the gathering as both the inaugural Board of Peace meeting and a donor conference aimed at mobilizing international funding to rebuild Gaza. The White House declined to comment publicly on the preparations.
The Board of Peace was unveiled last month by President Donald Trump, but its debut was met with significant skepticism, particularly among Western allies. Several countries declined to join, citing concerns that the board’s charter grants it sweeping authority and gives Trump sole veto power over its decisions.
Some allies privately expressed fears that the initiative could function as an alternative to the United Nations Security Council, bypassing established international mechanisms.
Despite those concerns, the board currently has 27 members and is chaired by Trump. It was authorized by the UN Security Council to oversee implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and to work on governance and reconstruction arrangements once fighting ends.
Behind the scenes planning
According to officials familiar with the preparations, the Trump administration began reaching out to dozens of countries on Friday to invite leaders and discuss logistics for the meeting. The event is tentatively planned to take place at the United States Institute of Peace, which Trump recently renamed in his own honor.
One source said no final confirmations have been made but that the administration is actively checking which leaders would be able to attend on short notice.
Netanyahu’s possible role
Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Feb. 18, one day before the planned Board of Peace gathering.
Netanyahu has accepted Trump’s invitation for Israel to join the board but has not yet signed its charter. If he participates in the Feb. 19 meeting, it would mark his first public appearance with Arab and Muslim leaders since before the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Slow progress on the ground
While the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement has formally begun, implementation has been sluggish. Israel has agreed to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, but only a limited number of Palestinians have been permitted to pass through.
A Palestinian technocratic government has been formed but has not yet entered Gaza and is currently operating from Egypt. Meanwhile, mediators — including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States — are in the early stages of negotiations aimed at reaching a demilitarization agreement with Hamas.
Israel has made clear that without demilitarization, it will not withdraw its forces from Gaza or allow large-scale reconstruction to proceed.
US push for demilitarization
At a Security Council meeting last week, US Ambassador Mike Waltz said Washington wants to initiate an agreed process for dismantling militant capabilities in Gaza.
He said all military and terror infrastructure — including tunnels and weapons production facilities — would be destroyed and not rebuilt. According to Waltz, independent international monitors would oversee the process, and an internationally funded program would be created to buy back weapons from Hamas members.
Under the US proposal, some former Hamas fighters could be integrated into new Palestinian government security forces, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Disagreements over timelines
Netanyahu has expressed deep skepticism about the US approach. He has said Trump privately committed that Hamas would be given only 60 days to disarm, after which Israel would be free to resume military operations.
US officials deny that claim, arguing that demilitarization will take significantly longer. Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner previously outlined a 100-day plan at the World Economic Forum in Davos that focused only on the initial stages of demilitarization.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the planned Board of Peace meeting could become a pivotal moment in shaping Gaza’s postwar future — or another flashpoint in an already contentious international process.
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