Trump described the initiative as a vehicle to bring “lasting harmony” to Gaza, holding up a document with pledges as disco beats of “YMCA” played in the background. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates each promised at least $1 billion toward the effort. White House officials said more than $6.5 billion was pledged, not including Trump’s own commitment.

The Board of Peace follows a ceasefire negotiated in October by the Trump administration alongside Qatar and Egypt to halt two years of conflict in Gaza. The plan’s second phase calls for Hamas’ disarmament. Morocco announced it would send police and officers to the newly formed International Stabilisation Force, while Indonesia pledged up to 8,000 troops. Albania, Kazakhstan, and Kosovo also committed forces. Major General Jasper Jeffers will command the force, with an Indonesian officer as his deputy. Nickolay Mladenov, appointed as high representative for Gaza by the US, said recruitment for a post-Hamas police force had already begun, with 2,000 applicants in the first hours.

Despite the truce, Gaza’s health ministry reported that Israeli forces had killed at least 601 people since its implementation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for the disarmament of Hamas and a “fundamental deradicalisation process” in Gaza.

Trump’s inauguration speech also included domestic and international political commentary, endorsements of several world leaders, and a warning to Iran over its nuclear program. Critics have described the Board of Peace as vague and opaque, questioning how it would interact with existing institutions such as the United Nations, to which Trump has sharply cut support. Bruce Jones of the Brookings Institution called the initiative “a confused mix of ambition and narcissism,” while Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama defended it as potentially helpful in revitalising peace efforts.