US President Trumps peace initiative in Gaza receives widespread skepticism

US President Trump Convenes First Meeting of Board of Peace

Washington D.C. - The United States President Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his newly formed Board of Peace (BoP) in Washington D.C. on Thursday. The board’s nine member nations pledged $7 billion to a reconstruction fund for the Gaza Strip, with five countries agreeing to deploy troops to an International Stabilisation Force.

The pledges were announced during a press conference by Trump, who also stated that the US would contribute $10 billion to the BoP. However, the amount is significantly lower than United Nations estimates of up to $70 billion needed for rebuilding the Palestinian territory.

In Gaza, residents expressed skepticism about the board’s ability to deliver real change. Amal Joudeh, a 43-year-old resident of Deir el-Balah, stated that despite previous promises and funding, little has changed since the ceasefire agreement went into effect last year. Joudeh and her family are among hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians struggling to survive.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that more than 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the truce. Awad al-Ghoul, a 70-year-old Palestinian displaced from Tal as-Sultan in Rafah, expressed concerns about the board’s effectiveness in resolving conflicts globally. “If a peace board of this size cannot force Israel to stop its attacks in a small place like Gaza, how will it fix conflicts across the world?”

Many residents believe that the funds pledged by the board will not reach Gaza, but rather be used for administrative expenses and salaries for top officials. Jamal Abu Makhdeh, a 66-year-old resident of Deir el-Balah, stated that “they won’t do anything for Gaza. It’s all lies.”

Source: Al Jazeera