Trump's Board of Peace Plan Descends into Chaos
WASHINGTON – Before it has even begun, US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) initiative is increasingly in disarray. Military operations by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Iran have thrown the body’s implementation timeline into chaos.
Prior to the strikes, Indonesia’s Defence Ministry Deputy Commander Brigadier General Donny Pramono announced plans to deploy 1,000 Indonesian troops to Gaza under an International Stabilisation Force scheme overseen by the BoP in April. This contingent was intended as an advance force for approximately 8,000 additional personnel to be sent in June.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran has derailed these plans. “Everything (discussions related to the BoP) is on hold,” said State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (17 March 2026). “Until an undetermined date,” he added.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang told Republika that the postponement of all BoP-related agendas also affects Indonesia’s planned International Stabilisation Force mission to Gaza. “The deployment of Indonesian peacekeeping forces to Gaza is currently postponed. All discussions related to the Board of Peace remain on hold,” Yvonne said when contacted by Republika on Tuesday evening.
Before the US-Israeli military action, a Trump administration official told Politico that the board had established accounts at the World Bank and JPMorgan Chase. More than 20 member nations pledged over $16 billion to the directorate in February, with the US promising the largest share of $10 billion. However, no payments have been made since then.
The Trump administration told National Security Daily that talks with Indonesia continue and that the “Board of Peace is committed to providing stability and welfare for the people of Gaza.”
Other nations, including Azerbaijan and Jordan, have told NatSec Daily they remain committed. However, the Board of Peace’s stated objective—rebuilding Gaza—remains far from realisation.
A key precondition for reconstruction is disarming Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group that attacked Israel in 2023, but only minimal progress has been announced.
Israel has also closed the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, citing the conflict with Iran. This has blocked a crucial step in the ceasefire process and caused a decline in aid reaching the enclave.
Zaha Hassan, who served as an adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team during its efforts for UN membership, noted that the Board of Peace’s mandate with the Security Council expires at the end of 2027. “If you say the Board of Peace is the only way, and the Board of Peace cannot even influence Israel to fulfil its obligations, this does not look good for its prospects, especially considering the setbacks,” she told NatSec Daily.
Given the conflict led by the US as BoP chair and ISF commander alongside Zionist Israel, also a BoP member, the funding freeze and all BoP and ISF agendas for the Gaza mission have become increasingly irrelevant.