NEW YORK CITY: The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, on Wednesday called on member states to commit “time and treasure” to Gaza’s recovery, as he urged countries to back the newly created “Board of Peace” which he said would soon announce more than $5 billion in reconstruction pledges.
The US-led board, established in November under UN Security Council Resolution 2803, is due to hold its inaugural meeting in Washington on Thursday, which will bring together 27 nations, including Saudi Arabia and several other Gulf Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
“The Board of Peace is a board of action,” Waltz said, arguing it marked a break from what he described as the failed approaches of the past.
The board will oversee the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which includes the deployment of an international stabilization force and the introduction of a technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
Waltz said thousands of troops have been pledged to the stabilization force, which would ensure security and help establish a “durable, terror-free environment.”
The National Committee will operate under the board’s oversight, he added, to restore basic services and help build a productive economy.
The ceasefire has reduced hostilities and secured the return of all hostages held by Hamas, both living and deceased, Waltz said. Just months ago, he added, Gaza was controlled by Hamas, who were holding 48 hostages in tunnels it had built “instead of rebuilding Gaza.” However, he stressed that reconstruction cannot proceed without security guarantees.
“Before reconstruction can move forward, Hamas must, and will, disarm,” he said. He also called for the destruction of the group’s tunnels, its weapons-production facilities and other militant infrastructure.
“Reconstruction cannot and will not take place in areas where Hamas has not demilitarized,” Waltz said.
He dismissed criticism of the unconventional structure of the Board of Peace, saying that “the old ways were not working” and the alternative was either continuing Hamas control of Gaza or occupation.
“As chair of the Board of Peace, we are confident that we will see an era of security, prosperity and opportunity for the Middle East emerge,” he added.
