U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace that nine participating members have committed a combined $7 billion for a relief initiative in Gaza and five nations have pledged to contribute troops to an international stabilization force aimed at supporting the war-battered Palestinian territory.
In a flurry of announcements at the end of a long, meandering speech to representatives from nearly 50 nations, Trump said the United States will contribute $10 billion to the Board of Peace. He didn't specify what the money would be used for. It was also not clear where the U.S. money would come from – a sizable pledge that would need to be authorized by Congress.
The Board of Peace includes Israel but not Palestinian representatives.
Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have pledged to send troops for a Gaza stabilization force, while Egypt and Jordan have committed to train police. Troops will initially be deployed to Rafah, a major population center where the U.S. administration hopes to first focus reconstruction efforts.
The countries making pledges are Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait, Trump said.
