Ashhar Alam

World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been named to the newly constituted ‘Board of Peace’, a high-powered body tasked with steering Gaza’s reconstruction under former US President Donald Trump’s proposed framework to end the conflict.

The White House on Friday unveiled the founding Executive Board, describing it as a group of global leaders bringing expertise in diplomacy, development, infrastructure and economic strategy. The board will play a central role in overseeing Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term recovery.

Alongside Banga and Rubio, the panel includes US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan and US Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.

According to the White House, each board member will be responsible for a specific portfolio critical to Gaza’s future, ranging from governance capacity-building and regional engagement to reconstruction, investment mobilisation and large-scale funding. More appointments to both the Executive Board and the Gaza Executive Board are expected in the coming weeks.

To address security concerns, Major General Jasper Jeffers, Commander of the US Special Operations Command Central, has been appointed to lead the International Stabilisation Force (ISF). He will oversee security operations, support demilitarisation efforts and facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.

Reaffirming Washington’s backing for the initiative, the White House said the US would work closely with Israel, key Arab partners and the wider international community to implement the plan. Trump has urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the Board of Peace and the ISF to ensure swift execution.

The NCAG forms a key pillar of the second phase of Trump’s proposed roadmap for Gaza a 20-point plan aimed at ending hostilities and laying the groundwork for lasting peace, stability and economic revival. Under the proposal, the conflict would end immediately upon agreement by both sides, with Israeli forces pulling back to an agreed line, hostages released, and all military operations suspended.

The plan also outlines an ambitious economic vision for Gaza, including a Trump-backed development initiative to rebuild the territory through large-scale investments and modern urban projects. It proposes the creation of a special economic zone with preferential trade terms to attract global investors, generate employment and spur growth.

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Stressing that displacement would not be enforced, the plan says residents will be encouraged to remain and participate in rebuilding Gaza, while those who choose to leave would be free to return. The stated goal, it adds, is to offer Palestinians the opportunity to create a more prosperous and secure future in the region.