Trump Secures 5 Billion Dollar Pledge For Gaza Reconstruction

President Donald Trump is once again rewriting the script in the Middle East.

On Sunday, Trump announced that member states of his newly formed Board of Peace have pledged more than $5 billion toward Gaza humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts. The formal unveiling is set for February 19 at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., where participating nations are expected to outline both financial commitments and security contributions.

In addition to the $5 billion Gaza reconstruction pledge, Trump said thousands of personnel will be deployed to an International Stabilization Force and to local policing units aimed at restoring order and security inside Gaza.

“The Board of Peace has unlimited potential,” Trump declared, pointing to what he described as early successes, including the adoption of his Gaza peace plan by the United Nations Security Council and the facilitation of humanitarian aid at record speed.

According to Trump, the Board of Peace is designed to move Gaza away from a dependency model that has failed its people. Senior board official Jared Kushner noted that roughly 85% of Gaza’s GDP has been supported by aid for years.

“That’s not sustainable,” Kushner said. “It doesn’t give these people dignity; it doesn’t give them hope.”

The Trump Gaza plan seeks to replace that cycle with long-term economic development, private investment, and regional partnerships a sharp departure from decades of UN-led management that critics argue entrenched bureaucracy without delivering lasting stability.

The Board of Peace includes seven executive members overseeing reconstruction, funding, and capital mobilization:

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio

• U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff

• Jared Kushner

• Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair

• Marc Rowan

• Ajay Banga

• Robert Gabriel

Participating member states include Morocco, Argentina, Bahrain, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia.

Notably absent are several major European powers. According to reports, some countries hesitated due to the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin in early invitations. France reportedly declined participation, arguing the Board of Peace could undermine existing United Nations frameworks.

Trump responded in typical fashion, suggesting he would impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes if Paris continued to resist. French officials dismissed the tariff threat, stating that economic pressure would not shape their foreign policy decisions.

The friction highlights a larger geopolitical divide. For decades, the Middle East peace process has revolved around multinational bodies and endless summits that often produced little more than press releases. The Trump Gaza initiative signals a pivot toward coalition-driven reconstruction outside traditional UN channels.

The stakes are enormous. Gaza’s unemployment rate has hovered above 40% in recent years, with youth unemployment even higher. Infrastructure damage from years of conflict has left water systems, housing, and electricity grids in dire condition. The World Bank has previously estimated that rebuilding Gaza would require billions in sustained investment.

The $5 billion Gaza reconstruction pledge marks one of the largest coordinated funding commitments since the conflict escalated. Supporters argue that pairing humanitarian aid with security stabilization is essential to prevent extremist groups from reasserting control.

Critics, however, have dismissed the Board of Peace as a “vanity project,” questioning whether it can truly deliver long-term peace. Some argue that bypassing established international institutions risks duplicating efforts or escalating diplomatic tensions.

But Trump allies counter that the old framework failed to produce measurable progress. They point to the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first term as proof that unconventional diplomacy can reshape the region.

The coming months will determine whether the Board of Peace can translate pledges into concrete improvements on the ground. If successful, the $5 billion Gaza reconstruction initiative could redefine how post-conflict rebuilding is approached in the Middle East.

At a moment when global alliances are shifting and traditional institutions are under scrutiny, Trump’s latest move is more than a funding announcement. It is a test of whether a new coalition-based model can succeed where decades of diplomacy struggled.

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