Trump announces $7 billion Gaza aid pledge from nine nations

Nine nations pledge $7 billion for Gaza

President Donald Trump announced that nine nations have pledged $7 billion to a reconstruction fund for Gaza at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington, DC. Five other countries have agreed to send troops to an international stabilization force for the Palestinian territory.

Trump told the board the US will contribute $10 billion to the initiative, though he did not specify its use. The nine donor nations are Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait.

"Every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of a new and harmonious [region]," Trump said. The pledged funds are a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza after more than two years of war.

Five countries commit troops to Gaza force

Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania have pledged to deploy troops to the proposed Gaza stabilization force. Egypt and Jordan will commit to training police officers.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said his country would contribute up to 8,000 troops to "make this peace work." The force will be led by a US general with an Indonesian deputy.

The plan calls for the force to start operations in the Israeli-controlled city of Rafah. Its goals include training a new police force, eventually preparing 12,000 police officers and fielding 20,000 troops.

Hamas remains a central obstacle

The disarmament of Hamas is a key part of Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, but the group has been reluctant to surrender its weapons while Israeli attacks continue. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said any international force must "monitor the ceasefire and prevent the [Israeli] occupation from continuing its aggression."

He said disarmament could be discussed but did not directly commit to it. The board itself has faced criticism for including Israeli representatives while excluding Palestinians.

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said Palestinians are skeptical of new pledges. "Past experiences with conferences, with regard to reconstruction, with regard to the peace process, all ended up with large needs for funding that were delayed or [plans] that were not implemented," he said.

Board's scope expands beyond Gaza

Trump first proposed the board last September as part of his plan to end the war. Since an October ceasefire, his vision for the body has expanded to tackle other global conflicts.

More than 40 countries and the European Union sent officials to Thursday's meeting. Several nations, including Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, are participating only as observers and have not formally joined the board.

The countries attending as observers include:

• Germany
• Italy
• Norway
• Switzerland
• The United Kingdom

Mahmoud noted the prevailing sentiment in Gaza: "Palestinians don’t want to see the Board of Peace as another international body that falls into the category of crisis management rather than finding a tangible solution."