First proposed in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, the board was initially framed as a mechanism to support the administration, reconstruction and economic recovery of the Gaza Strip. The White House formally announced the creation of the BoP last week. However, the organisation’s 11-page charter, comprising eight chapters and 13 articles, does not mention Gaza once. Instead, it proposes a broad mandate for a new international organisation that “seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”. The governance structure has three layers: the BoP, an executive board and a chairman with sweeping authority. According to the White House, a “founding executive council” sits at the top. The Board of Peace votes on budgets, policy and senior appointments, while the executive board, which consists of seven members, is responsible for implementing the mission. Members of the executive board include former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The chairman is Trump himself. He serves as the final authority on the interpretation of the charter and holds veto power over key decisions, including membership removal and executive board actions.
‘Without us, most of the countries don’t even work,’ US President Donald Trump said, during an address at the World Economic Forum on January 21, 2026, in Davos, Switzerland [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
What’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank?
- The Israeli military has arrested at least six Palestinians overnight after raiding towns in Jericho, Bethlehem and Tubas governorates of the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.
- At least 11 Palestinians, including two children and three journalists, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn, with six others injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
- More than 480 Palestinians – including at least 169 children and 64 women – have been killed since the ceasefire with Israel came into effect in October 2025, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Putin, Abbas to meet in Moscow for talks
President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later today during a working visit to Moscow.
In a statement, the Kremlin said discussions will focus on bilateral trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as the situation in the Middle East, with particular attention on Gaza.
