Trump's Peace Board Pledges $7bn for Gaza as Allies Stay Away

When Donald Trump announced $7 billion in Gaza relief funding through his newly created Board of Peace, one detail stood out as much as the hefty sum: who wasn't in the room. While Middle Eastern nations lined up to contribute, America's closest allies—the UK, France, Germany, and Canada—were conspicuously absent, having refused to join what they fear is an attempt to sideline the United Nations.

The Missing Voices at the Peace Table

At Thursday's inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Trump rattled off an impressive list of contributors: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait had all pitched in to exceed the $7 billion target. The UN would add $2 billion for humanitarian assistance, while FIFA promised $75 million for soccer projects in the Strip.

But the empty chairs told a different story. Traditional Western allies stayed away, viewing the board as Trump's attempt to create an alternative power structure that bypasses established international institutions. Their absence raises a fundamental question: can you build sustainable peace without your closest partners at the table?

The Reality Gap Between Promises and Ground Truth

Trump confidently stated that Hamas "looks like" it would disarm, but the situation on the ground tells a more complex story. Gazans report that Hamas is actually extending its control over the Strip, with its police and security agencies making a visible return to the streets. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains adamant: "There will be no reconstruction of Gaza before the demilitarisation of Gaza."

The numbers behind the need are staggering. The UN estimates damage in Gaza at $70 billion—ten times what the Board of Peace has pledged. The war, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has since claimed more than 72,000 Palestinian lives according to Gaza's health ministry.

A New World Order or Diplomatic Theater?

The composition of the Board of Peace reveals an interesting geopolitical pattern. Most participating nations are either Middle Eastern oil producers or Central Asian states—countries with strong economic ties to the US but somewhat ambivalent relationships with Western-led international institutions.

Trump seemed aware of the criticism, promising to "work with the United Nations very closely" and "bring them back." But his actions suggest something different: an attempt to create parallel institutions when existing ones don't bend to American will. The approach mirrors his broader "America First" philosophy, but applied to peacemaking.

Nickolay Mladenov, the Bulgarian politician appointed as high representative for Gaza, announced that 2,000 people had already applied to join a new transitional Palestinian police force "just in the first few hours." Whether these recruits can compete with Hamas's established authority remains to be seen.