(Front row, L/R) Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani attend the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" hosted by US President Donald Trump at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC. AFP
In his speech on Thursday, PM Madbouly thanked President Trump for convening the first session of the board, saying the US president’s direct engagement and commitment to peace in the region had been instrumental in ending the war in Gaza, which many had once deemed “far-fetched.”
Madbouly affirmed Egypt’s support for President Trump’s plan to launch “an era of peace and coexistence among the peoples of the region,” stressing that such a framework must guarantee the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
He also expressed Egypt’s appreciation for Trump’s stance rejecting any Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
In this regard, the Egyptian prime minister underscored the importance of maintaining the territorial link between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, saying this was essential to enable the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in Gaza.
The inaugural Board of Peace meeting comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to consolidate a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and lay the groundwork for a transitional governance and reconstruction framework, with regional and international stakeholders seeking a sustainable political settlement.
The Board of Peace, chaired by Donald Trump, brings together 27 members, including eight Arab and Islamic countries: Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
First floated in September 2025 and formally launched in January, the body was conceived as an international platform to craft sustainable solutions to regional and global conflicts, with a primary focus on the Palestinian issue.
Mandated by the United Nations through the end of 2027, the council is entrusted with overseeing the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and advancing governance and reconstruction arrangements in the Strip.
Egypt joined the BoP initiative at the invitation of the US administration, with Cairo expected to play a role in facilitating the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and helping mobilize international funding for Gaza’s reconstruction.
In October 2025, Egypt, along with Qatar, Turkey, and the US, negotiated a truce deal between Israel and Hamas to end the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. For months, Cairo has called for a permanent ceasefire, full implementation of the Gaza agreement, guaranteed humanitarian access, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Since the start of the Israeli war in October 2023, Egypt provided life-and-death aid to the population in the face of an Israeli blockade on the strip. Moreover, Egypt has prepared a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of the strip, which was backed by Arab and Muslim nations.
Kicking off the meeting, US President Donald Trump announced that nine board members had pledged $7 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction and committed thousands of personnel to an International Stabilization Force tasked with maintaining security and stability in the strip.
In his speech on Thursday, PM Madbouly voiced Egypt’s support for the mandate of the Board of Peace as “the highest umbrella” for managing the transitional period in the Strip.
Madbouly stressed the need to empower Palestinians to administer their own affairs through a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, adding that the committee must be enabled to operate from within the Strip and across all its areas.
He further called for clearly defined tasks for Gaza’s executive council to support the work of the national committee, reiterating Egypt’s continued efforts to train Palestinian police personnel to maintain security inside the enclave.
Madbouly also praised Trump’s rejection of any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, as reflected in what he described as a “20-point plan,” emphasizing the importance of supporting Palestinians’ continued presence on their land through early recovery and comprehensive reconstruction efforts across the Strip in a manner that preserves its geographical unity.
“Let today’s meeting be a starting point toward achieving our desired goals of peace,” the prime minister concluded.
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