Understanding What is the Gaza Peace Council and Its Role in the Middle of the Palestinian Conflict

What is the gaza peace council (antaranews)

YOGYAKARTA - What is the Gaza Peace Council is a question that has emerged a lot along with the controversial steps of US President Donald Trump in forming a new international institution.

This new institution was formed for global conflicts, especially the war in Gaza. This initiative has garnered widespread attention because it is considered different from existing international peace mechanisms.

The Gaza Peace Council or Board of Peace was originally designed as a supervisory body for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, the latest plans indicate that the role of this institution will be much broader and strategic at the global level.

What is the Gaza Peace Council?

As reported by the Washington Post, the Gaza Peace Council is an international body proposed by President Donald Trump to oversee the post-conflict peace, reconstruction, and stabilization process in Gaza.

This institution is designed as an international transitional body with the main members being heads of state. In its original draft, the Gaza Peace Council would be directly led by Donald Trump as chairman, with great authority in decision-making.

The existence of this institution is said to be part of the post-war Gaza vision presented by Trump in a 20-point plan last September. The formation of the Gaza Peace Council is inseparable from the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region due to the prolonged conflict.

This makes the United States see the need for a new mechanism that is considered faster and more effective than existing international institutions.

In November, the UN Security Council even passed a resolution supporting the establishment of this body until the end of 2027. The resolution provides international legitimacy as well as a mandate for the council to recruit international peacekeepers in Gaza.

However, the support has come under question after the White House circulated a new draft charter that expands the mandate of the Gaza Peace Council to other global conflicts, not limited to Gaza.

Read also the article discussing Foreign Minister Sugiono Emphasizes Indonesia's Focus on Joining the Peace Council is Palestinian Independence

The Purpose and Role of the Gaza Peace Council

Officially, the Gaza Peace Council aims to secure long-term peace in the region affected or threatened by conflict. The charter also mentions the desire to form a more agile and effective international peacebuilding body.

In addition to overseeing the reconstruction of Gaza, this council will work with relevant governments to manage post-conflict stabilization.

However, criticism has emerged that Trump is given veto power over many strategic decisions and the authority to appoint his own successor.

This situation gives rise to the assumption that the Gaza Peace Council has the potential to be a counterpart to the United Nations, with centralized control in the hands of one country.

Invited Countries and World Response

A number of countries have been invited to join, including the United Kingdom, Russia, Jordan, and Middle Eastern countries. Some countries such as Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Belarus, and Argentina have expressed their willingness to join, although with certain notes.

In contrast, European countries such as France, Sweden, and Norway expressed doubts or refused to join. France openly said that the council's charter raised serious questions about respect for the UN's role.

Trump even threatened to impose high tariffs on countries that refused to join, including a threat of 200 percent tariffs on French wine products.

How the Gaza Peace Council Works in the Field

In Gaza, the Gaza Peace Council formed two subcommittees, one of which is the Gaza Executive Board which is tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the area.

The Gaza Peace Council oversees a Palestinian technocratic group that runs public services, though ironically there are no Palestinian representatives within the council's structure.

Members of the Gaza Executive Board include Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as officials from Qatar and Egypt. Israel itself criticized the composition of this council, especially the involvement of Qatar and Turkey which were considered too close to Hamas.

The Gaza Peace Council is an ambitious and controversial peace initiative. On the one hand, this institution offers a new approach to conflict resolution. But on the other hand, the concentration of power and the potential clash with the existing international system make its future filled with question marks.

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