Guterres Cooperates With Trump's Gaza Peace Board to Fund Reconstruction

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his active cooperation with President Donald Trump's Board of Peace initiative for Gaza reconstruction.

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Guterres stated that his organization is 'cooperating actively with structures created by the Board of Peace' despite privately describing it as 'a personal project' of the U.S. president.

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The UN leader emphasized that the board's role should remain limited to Gaza's rebuilding efforts, indicating that 'there is an objective there that was defined, approved by the Security Council, and we are cooperating actively with structures created by the Board of Peace.'

Guterres further stressed the importance of international law in peace initiatives, suggesting that while he supports the reconstruction framework, he views the broader Peace Council approach as inadequate for addressing 'the dramatic problems that we have now.'

President Trump's Board of Peace has established an international structure with controversial membership criteria and mixed international reception.

The Peace Council, whose first meeting in February brought together top politicians from several countries in Washington, operates with membership restricted to those personally invited by Trump himself.

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Among the existing members are Belarus and Azerbaijan, while Russia and China have not joined yet.

The initiative has faced significant international criticism, with UN experts branding it an 'illegal and illegitimate maneuver by powerful states, driven by nostalgia and greed.'

These experts in Geneva noted that the approach reminded them of the colonial era, indicating deep concerns about the council's legitimacy and methodology.

Following a dispute, Trump withdrew an invitation to Canada, and Germany has rejected full membership but participated in the first meeting with observer status.

The Board of Peace has presented Hamas with a disarmament plan that has been formally rejected by the Palestinian organization.

“BRUSSELS — United Nations Secretary General António Guterres is defending the U”

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According to insiders, the plan was handed to Hamas last week at a meeting in Cairo, where the Gaza envoy of the council, Nikolaj Mladenow, and Aryeh Lightstone, an adviser to Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, participated in negotiations.

Mladenow subsequently announced on the X platform that 'serious efforts to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip' had resulted in mediators agreeing on a framework requiring 'the complete disarmament of Hamas and all armed groups, without exceptions and without special provisions.'

However, Hamas has refused to lay down their weapons, citing fears of attacks by rival militias in Gaza, some of which are supported by Israel.

Since the ceasefire in Gaza in October, Hamas and its rivals have carried out deadly attacks against each other, highlighting the complex security challenges facing any disarmament effort.

Current territorial control in Gaza remains divided between Israeli and Hamas authorities, creating a complex environment for reconstruction efforts.

Israeli soldiers control approximately half of the territory, while Hamas dominates the other half and its two million inhabitants.

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Most residents were left homeless by the two-year-long, devastating war that developed after an attack by Hamas fighters from Israeli territory and the ensuing Israeli army attacks on Gaza.

To incentivize disarmament, the Peace Council is reportedly offering amnesty and investments to Hamas, though the group has thus far remained resistant to complete disarmament.

The reconstruction framework, while supported by Guterres at the UN level, faces significant political and security obstacles that complicate implementation of any peace or rebuilding initiatives.