Trump’s newly formed Peace Council is set to host a summit in Washington on February 19 to secure $1bn in funding for Gaza’s reconstruction. The event follows the council’s charter signing in Davos, with 27 inaugural members and a UN Security Council mandate. It aims to accelerate peace through a business-like model.
On the banks of the Potomac in Washington’s rebranded Institute of Peace, Trump’s Peace Council is swapping traditional diplomacy for boardroom talk. “The Council will do a great job in Gaza,” Trump declared in Davos weeks ago, and now invitations are finalizing for a February 19 summit to turn words into rebuilding the Strip’s rubble.
Activity kicked off at the January World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump signed the council’s charter, turning a proposal into an “active international organisation.” With 27 inaugural members and a UN Security Council mandate for Gaza’s governance and recovery, the summit tests Trump’s “business-first” Middle East peace approach.
Structured like a corporate board, the council features an Executive Committee including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Rubio dismissed Western allies’ fears of it being a shadow UN Security Council, noting it was created by a UN resolution and focuses solely on Gaza’s second and third phases.
Its funding model introduces “pay-to-play,” offering permanent seats for $1bn contributions to amass capital for reconstruction, though critics say it may sideline diplomatically influential but cash-strapped nations.
Meanwhile, the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee met Friday in Ljubljana, Slovenia, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Abdelatty praised Slovenia’s support for Palestinian rights and stressed territorial integrity, international monitors, and Palestinian police training. Bin Farhan said the talks aimed to back Trump’s plan to end the bloodshed, while Safadi urged stabilizing the ceasefire before the humanitarian crisis worsens.
The summit’s timing is precise: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Trump on February 18 to discuss Phase Two security, including corridors and monitors. Israel accepted the invitation but hasn’t signed the charter, making this bilateral pivotal.