The Board of Peace is a failed body and should be abandoned
An opinion piece argues that the Board of Peace, established to oversee Gaza's ceasefire and reconstruction, has failed to enforce compliance and should be abandoned in favor of returning the Palestinian issue to UN frameworks. The board lacks enforcement mechanisms and legal standing, and has made little progress on reconstruction or Israeli withdrawal since its establishment in October.
The Board of Peace, created under Article 9 of a twenty-point Gaza peace plan announced in October, was tasked with overseeing a temporary Palestinian administrative body and an International Stabilization Force of multinational peacekeepers. In theory, the board would supervise Gaza's reconstruction and manage Israel's gradual withdrawal from the territory. However, according to the analysis, the body has achieved minimal progress on either objective during its six months of operation.
The board lacks the enforcement power, financing mechanisms, and legal standing within the international legal system necessary to fulfill its mandate. Despite initial promises from the Trump administration regarding Gaza's transformation into a modern urban center, the majority of the population continues to live in tent settlements under poor conditions. Recent efforts have been scaled back to a pilot reconstruction project near Rafah under Palestinian control that collaborates with Israel, with Israeli veto authority over which Palestinians may remain in the development.
A critical concern raised is the board's attempt to secure rights to confiscate Palestinian properties or utilize them without compensation, which observers characterize as facilitating continued Israeli appropriation of Palestinian land. Simultaneously, Israeli withdrawal—the board's other primary responsibility—has received minimal attention. Since the ceasefire began in October, more than 1,100 Palestinian civilians have been killed in ongoing bombardments, and Israel has continued demolishing Palestinian homes while expanding its territorial control to approximately 70 percent of Gaza.
The analysis concludes that the Board of Peace has created an appearance of diplomatic progress while providing political cover for continued conflict. The recommendation is to abandon the board and return responsibility for the Palestinian issue to the United Nations framework and international law.
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