When Donald Trump launched the Board of Peace in January, it was envisaged as the solution to violence and misery in Gaza, and a blueprint to solve other conflicts.
An initial mandate to oversee the shaky ceasefire and reconstruction of the devastated enclave morphed into a broader mission. Trump hinted the Board could replace the UN and become “one of the most consequential bodies ever created.”
Fulfilling that ambition appears as far away as ever. Conflicts across the Middle East have escalated rather than ended since the Board’s inception.
Israeli strikes have killed more than 900 Palestinians in Gaza since the October ceasefire, according to local health authorities, with a series of deadly attacks this week. Israel recently announced the expansion of its occupation from 53 to 60 per cent of the Strip.
Violence is also increasing in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces killed a seven-month old baby, Israeli settlers stormed a Palestinian village, and an Arab gunman killed an Israeli in a series of incidents this week.
