Peace, on paper

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MYRNA BROWN, HOST: It’s Thursday, the 29th of January.

Glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

First up: Rebuilding the Gaza Strip.

With the final hostage returned to Israel, President Donald Trump’s new Board of Peace is about to be put to the test. President Trump chartered the board last week at the World Economic Forum.

BROWN: The organization has been in the works for months as part of the Gaza peace plan, but some worry it still doesn’t have the structure to have a lasting impact.

WORLD’s Mary Muncy reports.

MARY MUNCY: In mid-January, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced the beginning of Phase Two in the Israel-Gaza ceasefire plan. 

This phase includes demilitarization, the creation of a government in Gaza, and the beginning of reconstruction. Progress in this phase was slow, but leaders are hopeful the return of the last hostage’s remains will speed the process.

The job of implementing this new phase falls to Trump’s Board of Peace.

TRUMP: Together, we are in a position to have an incredible chance—I don't even call it a chance, I think it's going to happen— to end decades of suffering, stop generations of hatred and bloodshed, and forge a beautiful, everlasting and glorious peace for that region and for the whole region of the world.

Last week, President Donald Trump and leaders from Argentina, Hungary, Qatar, and about 15 other nations made the Board of Peace an official international organization.

Right now, the board itself is controversial, much less any upcoming decisions.

Its charter stipulates that founding members will be on the board for three years, then there’s a one billion dollar buy-in to permanently secure a seat.

The United Nations Security Council originally authorized the board through 2027 as a means of rebuilding Gaza. But the board’s charter doesn’t mention Gaza, and says its mission is to promote peace and stability in “areas affected or threatened by conflict.” Not just Gaza.

Weeks ago, Trump said the board “might” replace the United Nations, but later at the World Economic Forum, he said he wants the Board of Peace to act in conjunction with the international body.

TRUMP: I've always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential—has not used it—but there's tremendous potential in the United Nations.

Trump also sees ‘tremendous potential’ for the Gaza Strip.

During the forum, his team revealed its plans for developing what is right now, rubble. The $25 billion plans include building critical infrastructure like hospitals, schools, and roads, as well as plans for the ‘Middle East Riviera.’ That includes ports and skyscrapers along the coast. It’s not clear who will fund the project.

But some worry the Board of Peace doesn’t have the right structure or members to create lasting peace in Gaza.

LOB: There's no one from the Palestinian side on the Board of Peace.

Eric Lob is an associate professor of politics and international relations at Florida International University.

Right now, the board is structured with Trump at the top as the permanent chairperson, followed by a general Executive Board made up of security and banking experts, and a separate Gaza Executive Board.

LOB: Countries are concerned about the hierarchy, that it's so top down and centralized around President Trump and his administration. They're also concerned—particularly Western European countries—that the invitation has been extended to Vladimir Putin.

Several European countries have rejected their invitations or delayed signing.

France says it won’t sign because the charter does not reflect the original purpose of the board: rebuilding Gaza. Italy and Germany say joining under the current structure would violate their constitutions. Canada has also said it won’t join.

The hesitation comes partly because it’s not clear what will be required of the signatories. And that is particularly relevant as the Gaza ceasefire enters stage two, where both Hamas and Israel are supposed to disarm. The original 20-point peace plan authorizes countries to dispatch stabilization forces if necessary.

LOB: Hamas is still there with thousands of troops, even if it's been or foot soldiers, even if it's been weakened or degraded. There are clashes between Hamas militants and militias and gangs backed by Israel.

Lob thinks Trump and his team need to work closely with U.S. allies and Palestinians to determine exactly what the Board of Peace should look like.

On the other side, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies senior fellow David Daoud thinks the structure is workable. But he worries even the best-possible oversight won’t bring peace in Gaza.

DAOUD: You can pour trillions of dollars. You can occupy, you can use overwhelming military force. You can stay there for 20 years, and you can still fail, because ultimately, people will choose their own values.

Daoud thinks the U.S. is offering something better than the current Hamas rule, but unknowns remain. Gazans will decide which leaders to vote for, what to do if a leader is corrupt, and even just how to treat their neighbor.

DAOUD: We can do all the right things, and we can put on all the structures, and the fact of the matter is, people are unpredictable.

But Daoud believes it’s still worth trying. Palestinians are suffering, and what happens in Gaza tends to reverberate around the world.

DAOUD: Will it lead to a different outcome than Iraq or Afghanistan? That'll depend on Gazans.

The next steps are still precarious. Israel re-opening the Rafah Crossing will likely increase aid flow from Egypt to Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they will not begin rebuilding until Hamas disarms. 

But so far, neither Israel nor Hamas want to leave themselves exposed. It will be up to the Board of Peace to ensure the terms of the ceasefire are met on both sides.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Mary Muncy.

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