Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other predominantly Muslim countries have announced they had accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the so-called Gaza Board of Peace.
The foreign ministers of the two countries, as well as those of Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement announcing that their countries had decided to join the board of peace.
The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Pakistan had previously announced their participation separately.
The ministers reaffirmed “their countries’ commitment to supporting the implementation of the mission of the board as a transitional administration in the Gaza Strip.
“The mission is set out in the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, and it is endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803,” they said.
A total of 60 countries have received invitations to the board, which is part of the second phase of Mr Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which has been largely destroyed by the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas.
Some European countries, including Germany and France, have been largely cautious so far.
Diplomats who have seen the board’s charter said it is an undisguised challenge to the United Nations, which Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised as dysfunctional.
There are indications that the U.S. government wants to greatly expand the board’s mandate to address crises and conflicts worldwide, not just Gaza. 

(dpa/NAN)