Washington, MINA – Donald Trump’s self-styled Board of Peace for Gaza is facing a deepening crisis after its official reconstruction fund failed to receive any donor money, despite $17 billion in pledged support, raising fresh questions over whether the US-backed body is little more than a hollow political project, according to the Financial Times, as cited by Middle East Monitor.
The World Bank-administered fund established for the board has received no donor contributions four months after its creation. One person familiar with the matter said: “Zero dollars have been deposited.” The failure comes despite member states pledging $7 billion for a Gaza “relief package,” while Trump promised a further $10 billion in US funding.
Instead of using the World Bank mechanism, which is endorsed by the UN and subject to reporting requirements, donations have reportedly been directed through a JPMorgan account. The arrangement has raised serious concerns, as no independent disclosure rules appear to apply to the private account.
A Board of Peace official told the Financial Times that “a number of options were established to receive funding” and that contributors had chosen “other options.” The official added that the board would report its finances to its own executive board “at a time deemed appropriate.”
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Morocco’s $20 million contribution has reportedly helped fund the office of Nickolay Mladenov, the board’s “high representative” for post-war Gaza, and salaries for the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to govern the Strip. A separate $100 million UAE contribution intended to train a new Gaza police force has not been used, with the programme yet to begin and the funds frozen.
An EU, UN and World Bank survey estimated that Gaza’s reconstruction will require more than $70 billion over the next decade.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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