U.S. President Donald Trump began setting up his controversial Peace Council for post-war Gaza, an international initiative that has already sparked divided reactions among world leaders, with some countries agreeing to join and others flatly rejecting the invitation.
The project, presented as a mechanism to promote global stability and peace in Gaza, envisions the creation of new political and administrative structures parallel to existing multilateral bodies, which has sparked diplomatic debate.
What is Trump’s Peace Council and how would it work?
According to the U.S. president’s plan, the scheme includes three main stages:
- Peace Council, chaired directly by Donald Trump
- Palestinian committee of technocrats, tasked with provisionally administering the Gaza Strip
- Executive Council for Gaza, with advisory functions
One of the most controversial points of the project is that, to become permanent members, member countries would have to contribute up to billion, according to the proposal released by Washington.
Netanyahu agrees to join Trump’s Peace Council
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Wednesday that he had accepted Trump’s invitation to join the Peace Council.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he has accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation and will join the Peace Council, which will be composed of world leaders”, his office said in an official statement.
Israel’s accession reinforces the country’s central role in shaping the strategy for postwar Gaza.
China receives invitation, but reaffirms its support for the UN
China confirmed that it had received the invitation to join the Trump-led Peace Council, although it avoided confirming its participation.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun underscored that Beijing will continue to uphold an international order based on the UN:
“China firmly defends the international system with the United Nations at its center, based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter”.
As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has reiterated its support for multilateralism, although it has raised the need for reforms to the United Nations system.
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Norway rejects the Peace Council and defends multilateralism.
The Norwegian government announced that it will not participate in the Peace Council proposed by Trump and will not attend the signing ceremony scheduled in Davos.
The Secretary of State attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, Kristoffer Thoner, explained that the U.S. proposal requires further analysis:
“Norway will not join the proposed provisions for the Peace Council and will not participate in the signing ceremony”.
Norway, recognized for its role as an international mediator, underscored that any peace initiative must be framed within the UN structures and existing multilateral commitments.
Egypt agrees to join Trump’s Peace Council.
In contrast, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed that he had accepted the invitation to join the Peace Council.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that the country will support the second phase of the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, in compliance with the relevant legal and constitutional procedures.
France and other countries also decline the invitation
In addition to Norway, France, a historic ally of the United States, announced that it will not join the initiative. Dozens of countries—including allies and adversaries of Washington—have confirmed receiving the invitation, although several remain reserved.
The controversy intensified after Trump recently declared that he no longer feels obliged to think “only about peace,” following his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre reminded that the award is granted by an independent committee, not by the Norwegian government.
The launch of Trump’s Gaza Peace Council underscores the tensions between the United States’ unilateral leadership and the multilateral system led by the UN, opening a new chapter in international diplomacy amid the conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and the Middle East.
