Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed Israel’s accession during meetings in Washington, confirming participation ahead of the Feb. 19 gathering at the United States Institute of Peace.
- The inaugural session will formalize the board’s mandate and structure and function as a fundraising forum for Gaza’s rebuilding, with any stabilization troop decisions deferred until an operational framework is set.
- Pakistan, which signed the charter in Davos on Jan. 22, is expected to be represented by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with travel planned for Feb. 18 pending formal confirmation.
- Poland and Italy said they will not join—Warsaw citing doubts over the board’s shape and Rome pointing to constitutional limits—while the Kremlin said it will not attend the first meeting and is still studying the initiative.
- A U.N. Security Council resolution in November authorized international collaboration for Gaza’s reconstruction and a potential stabilization force, even as rights experts question the board’s legitimacy and the lack of Palestinian representation.