Trump's Board of Peace prepares first Gaza visit: Israeli media
Representatives of the US-backed Board of Peace are expected to enter the Gaza Strip in coming days for their first visit since the body's establishment earlier this year, as Washington increases its engagement following the winding down of confrontation with Iran, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.
Board requests entry
Representatives of Nickolay Mladenov — whom President Donald Trump appointed as the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza — submitted an official request to the Israeli army seeking entry into the embattled enclave in the coming days, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN. The visit would mark the first time Board of Peace representatives have entered the Palestinian territory since the body was established under a White House initiative in January.
Disarmament warning
The broadcaster quoted a source within the board as saying that Palestinian group Hamas "has not understood that it must disarm," adding that recent Israeli strikes targeting the group's armed wing form part of this disarmament process. The comments came after an Israeli attack killed Mohammed Awda, head of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, in western Gaza City on Tuesday evening.
Stabilization force plan
Mladenov last week presented a 15-point plan aimed at implementing Trump's Gaza initiative, including the deployment of a multinational "International Stabilization Force," KAN reported. Representatives of this multinational force are also expected to visit Gaza next month to advance the stabilization framework, according to the broadcaster.
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US engagement backdrop
The Board of Peace was established on Jan. 16 alongside the Gaza Executive Council and the National Committee for Gaza Administration as part of transitional governance structures announced by the White House. The body held its first meeting on Feb. 19 at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, forming part of phase two of Trump's 20-point plan to end the war — a plan backed by a UN Security Council Resolution adopted last November. More than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 172,000 injured since Israel launched its war in Gaza in October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.
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