WASHINGTON: Pakistan has been invited to attend the first proposed meeting of US President Donald Trump’s newly announced “Board of Peace” (BoP) on Gaza, diplomatic sources have confirmed. The meeting, expected to take place in Washington on February 19, is aimed at formally outlining the structure, mandate and operational framework of the board.
Pakistan is likely to attend, although officials describe the country’s participation as cautious and carefully calibrated. The agenda is officially focused on organisational matters, the meeting is being closely watched amid speculation over the board’s longer-term role in Gaza including governance, reconstruction and security arrangements.
The diplomatic sources stressed that discussions on troop contributions or military involvement were “premature” at this stage. “This meeting is about giving shape to the board defining its structure, secretariat and direction,” one source said, adding that operational decisions would follow later.
Furthermore, the Board of Peace, proposed by President Trump last year and formally established in January, positions itself as a platform to address global conflicts, starting with Gaza. The US government acts as the official depository of the board, with its headquarters designated at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington.
The timing of the meeting has added to its significance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet President Trump at the White House on February 18, just a day before the board’s gathering, fuelling diplomatic speculation over potential policy coordination.
The initiative has already drawn scrutiny from analysts and rights experts. Critics argue that a US-led body overseeing Gaza risks sidelining existing multilateral institutions and raises questions about legitimacy particularly in the absence of Palestinian representation.
