Washington, 19 January (H.S.): In a bold diplomatic overture on Thursday, January 16, 2026, United States President Donald Trump formally invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the newly conceived Board of Peace, an international body tasked with overseeing Gaza's transition from protracted conflict to enduring stability and prosperity.

Invitation Echoes Landmark Gaza Peace Initiative

Trump's letter to Modi, conveyed publicly via US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on social media platform X on January 18, 2026, extolled the endeavor as a critically historic and magnificent effort to solidify peace in the Middle East. It builds upon Trump's comprehensive 20-point Gaza roadmap unveiled on September 29, 2025, which garnered swift endorsement from global leaders across the Arab world, Israel, and Europe, culminating in the United Nations Security Council's overwhelming adoption of Resolution 2803 on November 17, 2025.

The Board, chaired by Trump himself, emerges as the cornerstone of this plan's second phase, functioning as a transitional governing administration with strategic oversight for Gaza's de-radicalization, disarmament of Hamas, deployment of international security forces, and comprehensive reconstruction.

Executive Committee and Funding Dynamics

An executive committee has been announced to operationalize the Board's vision, comprising luminaries such as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, and US National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel. This group will supervise the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic entity managing day-to-day affairs.

Intriguingly, permanent membership reportedly requires a US$1 billion contribution toward Gaza's rebuilding, while standard three-year terms impose no financial obligation, according to anonymous US officials familiar with the unpublished charter.

Global Invitations and Mixed Reactions

Invitations have extended to nations including Pakistan, Jordan, Greece, Cyprus, Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina, Albania, and Hungary—whose Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed receipt on January 18, 2026, affirming Islamabad's commitment to UN-aligned solutions for Palestine.

Israel, however, voiced rare dissent, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office decrying the executive committee as uncoordinated and antithetical to its policies. The full membership roster is anticipated at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, amid the ceasefire's delicate second phase initiated October 10, 2025.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar