Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” for Gaza has warned that a gap between pledged funds and money actually disbursed must be closed urgently, raising fresh doubts over the US-led scheme already widely viewed as the president’s vanity project rather than a serious plan to rebuild the besieged Palestinian enclave.
A report submitted to the United Nations Security Council said: “The gap between commitment and disbursement must be closed with urgency.” It warned that funds pledged but not transferred mark “the difference between a framework that exists on paper and one that delivers on the ground for the people of Gaza.”
Trump established the Board of Peace to oversee his plan to end Israel’s genocide on Gaza and rebuild the territory, large parts of which have been reduced to rubble after more than two years of bombing. The reconstruction effort is estimated to cost around $70 billion, while $17 billion has reportedly been pledged to the board so far.
The board had previously denied that it faced funding constraints, insisting that it was an “execution-focused organisation that calls capital as needed.” However, its own report to the Security Council now urges countries that have made pledges to accelerate disbursement and calls on non-member states and international organisations to contribute without delay.
