On February 19, 2026, Donald Trump held in Washington the first meeting of the Peace Council he created, focused on the Gaza Strip. Representatives of nearly 50 countries gathered at the Donald Trump Institute of Peace, including 27 Council members, while several other states attended as observers.
The main outcome was a funding announcement: nine countries — the UAE, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait — jointly pledged $7 billion for humanitarian aid and Gaza’s reconstruction. The United States said it would add another $10 billion, although Politico later reported that this was part of a ten-year plan the White House still expects to coordinate with Congress.
At the same time, participants acknowledged that a full rebuilding of the enclave would require far more money. Mark Rowan, a member of Gaza’s executive board, estimated the necessary investment at $115 billion. By comparison, a report released this week by the World Bank, the UN and the EU put the cost of reconstruction at about $53 billion.
Trump and his allies described the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups as the central political and military precondition. Former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov, now the Peace Council’s high representative for Gaza, said recruitment had begun for a new Palestinian police force. Major General Jasper Jeffers also presented plans for a 20,000-strong International Stabilization Force, with Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania named as the first countries ready to contribute.
“This is a council of action, not of endless talk,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said while reporting a rise in humanitarian deliveries into Gaza.
Russia did not take part in the meeting and for now remains on the sidelines. Sergei Lavrov had earlier indicated that Moscow first wants to see how the new body intends to operate on the Palestinian issue. In Washington, the discussion also went beyond Gaza: Trump and some allies suggested that the new structure could eventually influence the way the UN itself functions.