Washington, DC – A US official and diplomats from four member states of the Security Council reported on Saturday that the White House plans to convene a meeting of leaders of the so-called “Peace Council” for the Gaza Strip on February 19.
This move aims to advance the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement and to mobilize funding for reconstruction efforts.
According to Axios, citing a US official, the upcoming meeting will be the first meeting of the Peace Council
and will be held concurrently with a fundraising conference for the reconstruction of Gaza.
The official indicated that the arrangements are still in their early stages and may be subject to change.
The White House declined to comment officially on this information.
A parallel framework to the UN Security Council
The announcement of the council’s establishment last month was met with widespread skepticism from several allies.
Most Western countries refrained from joining, partly due to the broad powers granted to it by its charter.
Among these powers is the veto power granted to US President Donald Trump over council resolutions.
Some allies believe that Washington is attempting to create a parallel body to the UN Security Council.
According to sources, the council currently comprises 27 members and is chaired by Trump.
It has been mandated by the Security Council to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
In addition, it is working on governance and reconstruction arrangements in the Gaza Strip.
Behind the scenes, the Trump administration began contacting dozens of countries on Friday
to invite their leaders to participate in the upcoming meeting. They also discussed logistical aspects.
The administration intends to hold the meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, which sources say Trump recently renamed after himself.
“Nothing is certain yet, but the administration is planning the meeting and has begun inquiring
about the leaders’ ability to attend,” said one source familiar with the matter.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on February 18.
This meeting will take place one day before the planned meeting of the Peace Council.
Netanyahu has accepted Trump’s invitation for Israel to join the council, but has not yet signed its charter.
Netanyahu’s first public appearance
If he participates, it will be Netanyahu’s first public appearance alongside Arab and Muslim leaders since before the October 7 attacks and the war on Gaza.
On the ground, sources indicate that the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has already begun, but is proceeding slowly.
Israel has agreed to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt,
but only a very limited number of Palestinians have been allowed to cross.
A Palestinian technocratic government has also been announced,
but it has not yet entered Gaza and is currently operating from Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration, along with other mediators-Egypt, Qatar,
and Turkey-remains in the early stages of trying to reach an agreement on the disarmament of Hamas.
Israel maintains that it “will not withdraw its forces from Gaza or allow reconstruction without disarmament.”
