Seven Muslim-majority countries agree to join Trump's Board of Peace

They did back its creation but I believe the argument is that the Board of Peace as it now appears bears little resemblance to what they thought they were backing. More international in flavour and less Gaza focused.

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) is the name of the committee set up to manage day-to-day operations of the civil service and administration in the Gaza Strip. It consists of a 15-person committee of politically independent Palestinian technocrats that is supervised by the international Board of Peace.

The UN’s top humanitarian official Tom Fletcher, told CNN that Trump’s Board of Peace will not replace his organization.

With his track record of getting things wrong that makes it more likely the UN will end up getting replaced, in my opinion.

BBC:

Speaking at Davos, Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised the "efforts of President Trump and his leadership". But he warned: "The real test has to be Hamas leaving Gaza".

President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs in parts of the occupied West Bank, called for the full implementation of the peace plan, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a central role for the PA in administering Gaza.

The head of the NCAG, Ali Shaath, meanwhile announced that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt would open next week in both directions. It has been mostly closed since May 2024, when the Palestinian side was seized by Israeli forces.
"Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the war," he said.

The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded to the attack by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 71,560 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7mmpljze7o

Details of the plan posted across multiple media sites including the Jerusalem Post:

Jared Kushner unveils $25 billion plan to transform Gaza into economic hub by 2035

US special envoy Jared Kushner presented a detailed blueprint for the reconstruction and economic transformation of the Gaza Strip in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. The multiphase master plan is intended to turn the enclave into a regional economic hub by 2035.

The proposal was introduced during the signing of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace charter.

The initiative sets ambitious targets for the next decade. It aims to raise Gaza’s GDP to more than $10 billion and increase average annual household income to over $13,000.

The plan is structured around a six-phase development timeline that begins in the south and advances northward.

Phase 1 focuses on Rafah and Khan Yunis. Phase 2 involves expanding Khan Yunis. Phase 3 targets development in the central refugee camps. Phase 4 centers on the reconstruction of Gaza City.

A major section of the coastline has been designated for coastal tourism, with plans to construct 180 mixed-use towers.

The interior of the Gaza Strip is zoned for residential neighborhoods and industrial zones covering more than 25 square kilometers. They are intended to accommodate data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities.

The infrastructure proposal includes a new port and airport, a trilateral crossing at Rafah, a freight rail line with a logistics corridor, and a network of ring and main roads to connect Gaza’s urban centers.

The Board of Peace estimates that more than $25b. will be needed to develop modern utilities and public services.

To support the new economy, $1.5b. has been allocated for vocational training and retraining programs.

The goal is to create more than 500,000 new jobs in the construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and digital sectors.

An additional $3b. investment fund is designated for commercial zones, business districts, and microgrants intended to stimulate local entrepreneurship.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-884216

Do all these countries fall into the category of “any group of thugs”?

I don’t think so. Though I think it has been obvious for a long time that no one is going to provide the billions of dollars needed to rebuild Gaza apart from for a profit.

I’m just being pragmatic by the way, not suggesting that war should be something to make profit on. My personal view is that those that start a war should primarily pay for the war along with the support of their allies & funders. Others will say Israel should pay most of it. Whichever way you view “blame”, in reality Gaza needs outside investors. Though I agree it feels unsavoury for other countries/individuals to be profiting from this war in Gaza.

It's only the countries that wish to become permanent members of the Board of Peace that must pay the billion dollars into a fund controlled by Donald Trump, others will serve a 3-year term. Who actually pays I have no idea.

I agree the UN has been tarnished over it's obvious historical & current bias in this conflict.

It needed reforming but arguably it is being replaced instead, time will tell.

Members of the Gaza Executive Board

A Gaza Executive Board supports the High Representative and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Its members were announced on 17 January 2026. They are:

• Steve Witkoff – United States Special Envoy to the Middle East
• Jared Kushner – Donald Trump's son-in-law
• Hakan Fidan – Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Ali al-Thawadi – Qatar's Minister for Strategic Affairs
• Hassan Rashad – Director of Egypt's General Intelligence Directorate
• Tony Blair – Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Marc Rowan – CEO of Apollo Global Management
• Reem Al-Hashimy – Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates
• Nickolay Mladenov – High Representative for Gaza
• Yakir Gabay – Businessperson
• Sigrid Kaag – United Nations' Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process

According to Wikipedia, the countries who have joined so far are:
United States (chair), Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan & Vietnam.

Many other states and organisations have been invited and are considering their response including the Vatican city.

The only states to have declined so far are Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.

On 20 January 2026 Trump referenced the "Board of Peace" and said "the United Nations never helped me" as a reason for its existence, claiming his board "might" replace the UN.

The Guardian called it "a Trump-dominated pay-to-play club: a global version of his Mar-a-Lago court aimed at supplanting the UN itself," arguing that the body ultimately outlined bore little resemblance to what the United Nations Security Council believed it was endorsing. According to the newspaper, a charter circulated to national capitals two months after the resolution's adoption made no reference to Gaza, instead presenting the Board of Peace as a permanent global institution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_Peace