LONDON: Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Wednesday hit back at news reports saying its main fund for reconstruction efforts in Gaza is empty.
The Financial Times reported that the board’s financial fund, which was set up last year by the World Bank and endorsed by the UN, had not received any money from donors.
But the Board of Peace responded, saying that the fund is “just one of many funding mechanisms that to date has not been utilized by the donor community.”
In a social media post, the board said: “This FT article tries desperately to sow doubt about the commitment of the US and partners to the Board of Peace.”
The article quotes a Board of Peace official saying that donors have opted to use other mechanisms to contribute so far.
The board has received donations directly through its JPMorgan account, the board’s spokesperson told the newspaper.
A Board of Peace source told AFP that money had not been deposited in the fund because it was designed for the reconstruction and development phase in Gaza, which has not yet been reached.
Trump launched the Board of Peace in January, months after he helped broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Its main purpose is to oversee the redevelopment and governance of Gaza, which was devastated during Israel’s two-year onslaught on the territory.
The peace plan for Gaza included several phases, the first of which saw the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
The second phase is meant to include the start of Hamas handing over its weapons, along with an Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of a stabilization force.
Progress has halted, however, with the Board of Peace last week describing Hamas’ refusal to disarm as “the principal obstacle.”
