Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
A U.S.-backed Peace Council launched under President Donald Trump is set to hold its first leadership meeting in Washington on February 19, a U.S. government official said on Saturday, offering few details about the agenda or participants.
The official confirmed the date in a statement to Reuters, while referring further questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Axios first reported the planned meeting, saying it would also serve as a fundraising event for the reconstruction of Gaza. According to Axios, the gathering is expected to take place at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.
At least one foreign leader has confirmed plans to attend. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of Trump’s closest allies within the European Union, said during a campaign event on Saturday that he would travel to Washington in two weeks to participate in the Peace Council meeting.
Trump announced the creation of the council in late January, saying it would be chaired by him and aimed at resolving global conflicts. The initiative has raised concerns among diplomats and analysts who fear it could sideline or undermine the role of the United Nations, particularly in conflict mediation and peacekeeping.
Governments around the world have responded cautiously to the invitation to join the council. While some U.S. allies in the Middle East have reportedly signed on, several of Washington’s traditional Western allies have yet to do so. According to Axios, permanent membership in the council requires a financial contribution of $1 billion, a condition that has drawn criticism from observers who question the transparency and legitimacy of the body.
The council’s emergence is closely linked to Gaza. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November authorized the council and cooperating states to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since October under a Trump-backed plan signed by Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Under the Gaza plan unveiled late last year, the Peace Council would oversee the territory’s interim governance, with Trump later saying the body’s mandate would be expanded to address conflicts beyond Gaza.
The announcement has sparked criticism from human rights experts, who argue that a U.S.-led council administering a foreign territory risks resembling a colonial-style governance structure. Critics have also pointed to the absence of any Palestinian representatives within the council’s leadership, raising concerns about legitimacy and inclusivity.
Repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza have further complicated the initiative. Since the truce began in October, more than 550 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have been killed, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources respectively.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in late 2023 that killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken, has resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The offensive has displaced Gaza’s entire population and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger.
A number of human rights experts, academic researchers, and a United Nations investigation have said the scale and nature of the violence may amount to genocide, an allegation Israel strongly rejects. Israeli officials say their actions constitute self-defense against Hamas.
An Israeli government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on the planned Peace Council meeting. As the February 19 gathering approaches, questions remain over the council’s authority, composition, and relationship with existing international institutions, as well as its ability to influence events on the ground in Gaza and beyond.
