Trump invites several leaders to join Gaza peace council

The Gaza Peace Council, chaired by Donald Trump, began to take shape on Saturday as several world leaders were invited to join it, including those from Egypt, Argentina, Canada and Turkey. The council is tasked with overseeing the second phase of Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, following three months of a fragile ceasefire secured under pressure from Washington.

The U.S. president, who promised, in his customary style, “the largest and most prestigious council ever assembled," views the Peace Council as a key pillar of his strategy to end more than two years of Israeli military bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

Argentine President Javier Milei said it would be an “honor” to sit on the council after receiving an invitation. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney also intends to participate, according to one of his advisers.

Turkey’s presidency confirmed that Recep Tayyip Erdogan had received an invitation, while Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi “is studying the matter,” according to his foreign minister.

The invited leaders would join U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Tony Blair, who has previously served as a Middle East mediator. Blair said he was “honored” to be part of the council and praised Trump’s “leadership,” though his reputation remains controversial due to his role in the 2003 Iraq war.

Trump allies

Trump has also appointed several close allies to the council, including his envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a businessman and unofficial mediator. World Bank President Ajay Banga is also among the members.

The White House has created a seven-member “founding executive board,” including five Americans, among them Marc Rowan, the billionaire chief executive of investment firm Apollo Global Management. It was not immediately clear which body the invited foreign leaders would join. The White House, which said additional appointments were forthcoming, did not clarify the matter on Saturday.

The unveiling of the council’s membership follows the launch of the second phase of Trump’s plan, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, in line with a plan endorsed by the UN Security Council in November.

The plan also предусматривает the deployment of an International Stabilization Force to help secure Gaza and train Palestinian police units. The Peace Council will additionally oversee a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee of 15 members tasked with administering the Gaza Strip during a transitional period.

Hamas rejected the creation of the council in October, with senior official Osama Hamdan denouncing it as a return “to the era of mandates and colonialism.”