Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is actively collaborating with global partners, including the European Union (EU) and the Palestinian Authority, to foster stability in Gaza and lay the groundwork for governance following recent conflicts, as stated by Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide.
Established as a pivotal initiative for overseeing the reconstruction and governance of the Gaza Strip, the Board of Peace convened for the first time in February. Eide, who was in Brussels on Monday participating in events related to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict, highlighted the Board’s growing engagement with international bodies that possess extensive experience in Gaza, notably the Palestinian Authority.
Strengthening ties with established institutions
In an interview at Norway’s EU representation, Eide remarked,
“The Americans who have been tasked with the Board of Peace … are also discovering that the established institutions are quite useful. The World Bank, the [United Nations], different agencies actually have a lot of experience.”
While the Trump administration has maintained a cautious distance from the Palestinian Authority in its governance plans for Gaza—denying entry to individuals carrying Palestinian Authority passports—there are signs of improved relations. EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas recently welcomed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa as a special guest in Brussels. Eide conveyed that the interactions between Mustafa and the Board of Peace are more positive than they might appear publicly. “The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority tells me that the conversation with the U.S. has been going much better, and that there is practical cooperation,” he noted, emphasizing that Trump’s governance plan for Gaza anticipates a long-term role for the Palestinian Authority contingent upon necessary reforms.
Building bridges for effective governance
Eide, who co-hosted a donor conference called the “Ad Hoc Liaison Committee” alongside Kallas, pointed to the participation of Trump’s High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, at the Brussels event as indicative of ongoing bridge-building efforts. He stated,
“What we really want to do is build a bridge between the established institutions … and the new structures which have come out of the ceasefire in Gaza — the Board of Peace and the NCAG.”
The NCAG, or National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, is a technocratic body established to manage daily operations in the territory.
An anonymous official from the Board of Peace, who was not authorized to speak publicly, clarified that the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee is not viewed as a competitor but rather as a consolidation of ongoing efforts. Eide addressed concerns regarding the delayed disarmament of Hamas, attributing the slow progress to the lack of a police force or an international stabilization force—elements promised in Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza. “Now that the U.S. has taken a strong leadership and Trump made this one of his peace achievements, it also means that, fine, we accept this [U.S. leadership], but they also have to deliver on this [commitments],” he asserted.
As the situation evolves, the White House and U.S. State Department have directed inquiries to the Board of Peace, which has opted not to comment on the developments.
Daniella Cheslow contributed reporting from Washington.