Gaza Reacts to Trumps Board of Peace Proposal

US Announces Second Phase of Ceasefire in Gaza, Palestinians Express Skepticism

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian militants was announced on October 10, but hostilities have continued with over 442 Palestinians killed in the past three months. The US has now launched the “second phase” of the ceasefire, which includes a new Palestinian technocratic administration and an international “Board of Peace”.

The Board will be chaired by former US President Donald Trump and will oversee the implementation of demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister, has been appointed to head the Palestinian technocratic committee.

Palestinians in Gaza have expressed cautious hope but deep skepticism about the new phase of the ceasefire. Arwa Ashour, a freelance journalist based in Gaza City, stated that “political decisions are distant from the reality faced in Gaza”. She noted that daily life is shaped by the siege and displacement, and that living conditions will not improve soon.

Ashour also emphasized that Palestinians want to be part of the process of creating their future, rather than accepting pre-existing decisions. The governance model envisaged in the second phase does have a Palestinian component, but it will be overseen by an international body.

Maha Hussaini, head of media and public engagement at Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, expressed concerns that excluding Palestinians from shaping their future would strip them of agency and turn reconstruction and governance into tools of control. Ahmed Fayyad, a Palestinian political analyst, noted that Palestinians have little choice but to go along with the new model.

The Board of Peace will be led by Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian foreign minister who has worked as a United Nations diplomat in the Middle East. The international body’s ability to push back against Israel and represent Palestinians’ interests remains uncertain.

Source: Al Jazeera