Islamabad, January 18, 2026: Pakistan has been invited to join the Gaza “Board of Peace” being formed by United States President Donald Trump, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Sunday.
“The prime minister of Pakistan has received the invitation from the president of the United States to join the Board of Peace on Gaza,” FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in response to media queries. He added that Pakistan would continue to engage with international efforts aimed at peace and security in Gaza, seeking a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in line with United Nations resolutions.
The proposed “Board of Peace” is taking shape as Washington moves into the second phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, a territory left devastated after two years of Israeli bombardment. President Trump has already declared himself chair of the body, promoting a controversial vision centered on economic development in the Palestinian territory.
According to reports, the United States has invited leaders of around 60 countries to participate in the initiative, including Turkiye, Egypt, Argentina, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Australia.
However, the board’s charter—reportedly not mentioning Gaza by name—has raised concerns that the initiative could be positioned as a rival to the United Nations. On Friday, President Trump named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to the panel.
Reuters reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is also among the board’s members, despite Israel’s repeated opposition to any Turkish role in Gaza. Other executive board members include UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag; Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay; and a minister from the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo on Friday. The meeting was attended by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who has been working closely with Witkoff on the issue. The committee is being led by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, whose proposed plan includes clearing war debris into the Mediterranean Sea and rebuilding Gaza’s destroyed infrastructure within three years.
Analysts say the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Washington can turn its ambitious blueprint into tangible progress on governance, security and reconstruction in Gaza, as negotiations over demilitarisation and political transition intensify.
