President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the creation of a Gaza "board of peace," calling it a centerpiece of the next phase of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.

Trump Unveils Board At Heart Of Plan

"It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that its members will be named "shortly." "I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place," he said.

The board's formation comes days after the naming of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with day-to-day governance in post-war Gaza. That body, backed by Washington and several regional mediators, will operate under the supervision of the board of peace, which Trump is expected to chair.

As per a report by The Washington Post on Thursday, the broader plan also envisions an International Stabilization Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.

Hamas Urges Mediators To Empower Committee

In a statement shared with Al Jazeera, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim cautiously welcomed the move but pushed outside powers to follow through. "The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee," he said.

The US-backed Gaza peace plan, endorsed by the UN Security Council last fall, formally took effect on Oct. 10, triggering a ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas and a phased pullback of Israeli forces under Trump's 20-point framework.

The second phase, focused on demilitarization, reconstruction and transitional governance, is now underway but remains clouded by unresolved security and political questions.

Ceasefire Strains And Disarmament Disputes Persist

Despite the truce, Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli operations have killed more than 450 Palestinians since the ceasefire "ostensibly" took hold, and both sides trade accusations of violations. For many Palestinians, the central demand is a full Israeli military withdrawal from the enclave, a step included in the plan's outline but still lacking a detailed timetable.

Hamas has so far declined to publicly commit to full disarmament, a non-negotiable requirement for Israel and one former U.S. national security adviser, John Bolton, has warned could cause Trump's plan to collapse.

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