U.S. President Donald Trump on the 19th (local time) chaired the first meeting of the peace committee he leads at the Donald Trump Peace Institute in Washington, D.C. At the meeting, the United States and its allies agreed to provide more than $17 billion (about 25.7 trillion won) to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
They also finalized a plan to deploy a 32,000-strong multinational force and police to maintain security in the Gaza Strip. President Trump, while emphasizing Middle East peace, issued a strong warning to Iran, which is in nuclear talks, about the possibility of armed conflict.
About 50 delegations attended the meeting, including 27 official member countries of the peace committee. From Korea, former Ambassador to Egypt Kim Yong-hyun took part as an observer. President Trump announced that nine countries, including Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, donated $7 billion for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. government will contribute a separate $10 billion. President Trump said, "This amount is merely the expense of fighting for two weeks," adding, "It is far cheaper to build peace than to wage war." The United Nations and the International Federation of Association Football will add $2 billion and $75 million, respectively. Japan plans to host a separate fundraising event later. The funds will be managed through a special World Bank account.
Security inside the Gaza Strip, which collapsed in the war, will be handled by the International Stabilization Force (ISF) and a newly established Palestinian police. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, a former commander of U.S. Central Command Special Operations, said the long-term goal is to deploy 20,000 multinational troops and 12,000 police in the Gaza Strip. Five countries, including Indonesia and Morocco, will send troops, and Egypt and Jordan will be in charge of police training. The deployed forces will be stationed sequentially from Rafah in southern Gaza, which is controlled by the Israeli military. Gaza Administrative State Committee Chairperson Ali Shatt said the committee will build a professional civilian police organization to restore security.
For this reconstruction and stabilization plan to succeed, the Palestinian armed faction Hamas must lay down its arms. President Trump said, "We believe Hamas will keep its promise to disarm," but warned, "If it refuses, it will face harsh consequences." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained a hard-line stance, saying, "No reconstruction is possible without the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also argued that "a fundamental de-radicalization process is needed within Palestine." Senior representative to the peace committee Nikolay Mladenov likewise said, "There is no alternative to the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip."
President Trump also took aim at Iran, considered the greatest destabilizing factor in the Middle East. He issued an ultimatum, saying, "If we do not reach a meaningful agreement with the United States, bad things will happen," and, "We will know the result within 10 days." It is interpreted as suggesting that additional military action targeting Iran could be taken if necessary. Meanwhile, regarding international concerns that the peace committee seeks to replace the existing role of the United Nations, President Trump drew a line. He said the peace committee "will work closely with the United Nations" and "will monitor and help ensure the United Nations fulfills its role."