The Board of Peace, an international body established by U.S. President Donald Trump, has issued a deadline to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, demanding its disarmament. The ultimatum comes as part of a broader framework aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Gaza and establishing a path toward reconstruction and lasting peace in the region.
According to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Hamas has been given a two-month ultimatum by the Board of Peace to disarm. Smotrich stated that Israel will not cease its military operations in Gaza until Hamas is completely destroyed, asserting that there will be no Hamas presence, militarily, civically, or in governance, in Gaza. The Israeli minister indicated that the Israeli army currently controls over half of the Gaza Strip and is managing all aspects of the territory.
The Board of Peace was formally launched in January 2026, following a United Nations Security Council vote in November 2025 that endorsed a U.S.-brokered, 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. President Trump officially signed the Board’s charter on January 22, 2026, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Initially conceived to oversee a ceasefire and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, the board’s mandate has since expanded to encompass broader peace-building initiatives in conflict-affected areas.
The initiative has garnered support from various countries, with 26 nations initially announced as founding members. These include countries from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caucasus. Notably, major European powers such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom were absent from the initial list, reportedly due to disagreements with Trump on various policy matters. Several other countries, including Canada and Ukraine, faced complexities regarding their potential participation.
The Board of Peace operates under a centralized governance model, with President Trump serving as Chairman. This structure grants the chairman significant authority in decision-making, member selection, and resolution approval. The organization relies on voluntary contributions from member states, with a financial commitment of $1 billion required for permanent membership renewal after the initial three years.
The Gaza envoy for the Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, has urged UN Security Council members to exert pressure on Hamas to disarm. Mladenov emphasized that the laying down of arms by militant groups would represent a significant break from the cycles of violence that have plagued Gaza for decades. He stated that serious efforts are underway to bring relief to Gaza, with a framework agreed upon by mediators that could advance reconstruction in the war-torn enclave.
A written proposal detailing how Hamas could lay down its weapons was reportedly submitted to the group during recent meetings in Cairo. The proposal, which includes demands for Hamas to surrender all weapons, dismantle Gaza’s tunnel network, and transfer governance to a technocrat committee, offers a phased Israeli withdrawal and easing of material restrictions in return. Hamas, however, has consistently rejected disarmament under terms imposed by Israel, and is currently reviewing the proposal.
The Board of Peace has also announced plans for reconstruction projects in Gaza, including refugee villages and a base for international troops. The overarching goal of the initiative is to facilitate a transition from active fighting to a post-war phase, supporting security arrangements, reconstruction, and long-term governance in Gaza, contingent on Hamas no longer being in control.
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