Several Countries Confirm Receiving US Invite to Join Gaza Board of Peace

At least seven countries have publicly confirmed they have received invitations from President Donald Trump to be part of the U.S.-led Board of Peace for Gaza, which will oversee the reconstruction of the enclave.

The Board of Peace, to be chaired by Trump, is part of phase two of a U.S.-backed cease-fire agreement between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas to end the war in Gaza.

The board will oversee the Palestinian technocratic committee, which is called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and is led by former Palestinian Authority official Ali Abdel Hamid Sha’ath.

Trump on Jan. 16 named the board’s founding executive members, which include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, private equity executive Marc Rowan, World Bank Group president Ajay Banga, and Robert Gabriel, a deputy U.S. national security adviser.

Australia, Pakistan, Jordan, Paraguay, Argentina, Vietnam, and Hungary are among the nations whose leaders have been invited, but whether all will join the board is yet to be confirmed.

U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in a Jan. 18 post on X that he had conveyed Trump’s invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but India has not yet issued a response statement.

In a letter sent to Argentinian President Javier Milei, which Milei shared on X, Trump said the board would seek to “solidify peace in the Middle East” and “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”

Milei said that he was honored to join the board as a “founding member” and thanked Trump for the invitation.

“Argentina will always stand with the countries that confront terrorism head-on, that defend life and property, and that promote peace and freedom. It is an honor for us to share in such a great responsibility,” he said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC Radio on Jan. 19 that his government has received Trump’s invitation but has yet to make a decision, according to a transcript by his office.

“We’ve received correspondence from the President that arrived, I think, last night. That’s something we haven’t had time to consider,” he said. “We’ll consider all of these approaches respectfully and through our proper processes.”

Hungary and Vietnam said they have accepted invitations to join the board.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a post on X that the United States recognized his nation’s efforts for peace.

In a statement, Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry said it was willing to participate as a founding member and would work with the United States and the international community to “make positive contributions” to the Middle East peace process, including the “establishment of a Palestinian state.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it received Trump’s invitation and said it would remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza.

Jordan’s government said that King Abdullah II received the invitation and is reviewing the related documents within the country’s legal framework.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña thanked Trump for the invitation, saying his country would “proudly assume the responsibility of working alongside the United States for lasting peace for all.”

The White House said each of the members will be tasked with managing the Gaza Strip’s “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization,” which it said are vital to the enclave’s stability and long-term success.

Trump also named Abraham Accords Peace Institute CEO Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum as senior advisers to manage the board’s day-to-day strategy and operations and appointed Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat and former U.N. envoy to the Middle East, as the high representative for the Gaza Strip.

The administration also announced a separate 11-member executive board, made up of some of the founding members and officials from other countries, which will support both the technocratic committee and Mladenov’s office.

Trump said on Jan. 15 that the United States would work with Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar to secure an agreement that would require Hamas to surrender all weapons and dismantle its tunnel network.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Robert Gabriel’s title. The Epoch Times regrets the error.