One Year Later: Assessing the Impact and Failures of Trump's Board of Peace in Gaza

One year has passed since United States President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) brokered a “ceasefire” designed to ultimately conclude Israel’s war in Gaza. Despite this, Palestinians in the enclave continue to experience ongoing attacks and displacement as Israeli forces expand their control across the territory instead of receiving relief or an opportunity to rebuild.

President Trump initially introduced the BoP in September 2025 with the stated aim of stabilizing Gaza and securing lasting peace. A United Nations Security Council resolution subsequently recognized the board as a “transitional administration” in Gaza in November. However, the true achievements of the board remain heavily scrutinized.

The primary objectives of the BoP were outlined in President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan alongside the “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas, which commenced on October 10, 2025. The framework established benchmarks for both parties to foster a viable path toward Palestinian statehood. Requirements included the withdrawal of Israeli forces to approximately 50 percent of the Gaza Strip, the cessation of aerial and artillery bombardments, and the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners alongside 1,700 individuals detained from Gaza since October 7, 2023. Additionally, the plan mandated the reopening of border crossings to facilitate humanitarian aid.

Conversely, the peace plan required Hamas to release all Israeli captives, followed by a subsequent phase involving disarmament and amnesty or safe exit for its members. The BoP was designated as a transitional governing entity until the Palestinian Authority could assume control, while a United States-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) was intended to manage security. The proposal also emphasized the reconstruction and redevelopment of Gaza.

During its first summit in Washington, DC, in February, BoP members who contributed a $1bn annual fee pledged $7bn in funding, falling drastically short of aid agency estimates of $70bn required for reconstruction. A subsequent 66-project recovery plan valued at $2.4bn was unveiled by the BoP on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

While certain elements of the agreement progressed—such as Hamas releasing all 168 living captives, Israel freeing Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas announcing the dissolution of its government in the Gaza Strip—other primary goals remain unfulfilled. Governance efforts have encountered severe obstacles; although the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was established under Chief Commissioner Ali Shaath and operates from Cairo, Israel has barred it from entering the Strip.

Humanitarian aid remains heavily restricted, with only about 227 aid trucks entering daily compared to the targeted 600 trucks. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that Israel has classified essential supplies like tents and ventilators as “dual use” items, leaving approximately 1.4 million Palestinians facing hunger.

Critics note that the BoP has failed to enforce the ceasefire, with daily attacks resulting in the deaths of more than 1,400 Palestinians since October 10, 2025, and bringing the total death toll past 74,000 over three years. Furthermore, Israel now occupies roughly 60 percent of the Strip, exceeding the 50 percent limit outlined in the peace plan. Statements from officials like Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, indicating that the army will maintain a permanent presence, have reinforced assessments from experts such as Mohamad Elmasry that the policies amount to ongoing displacement.

The board has also been unsuccessful in prompting Hamas to disarm, as the group refuses to surrender weapons while Israeli military operations persist. Furthermore, the proposed stabilization force has seen commitments from only six nations—Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Albania, Kosovo, and Uganda—to form a 32,000-person security unit under the United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), and no substantive reconstruction has taken place.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration and the BoP have moved to marginalize the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), signaling that the agency's operational tenure in Gaza is concluding despite the UN General Assembly extending its mandate through 2029. While the BoP is officially mandated to oversee the peace process until December 2027, analysts like Simon Mabon from Lancaster University argue that the board has ultimately failed to bind participating parties to their commitments and prevent ongoing devastation.