“Peace Council” to convene in Cyprus to relaunch Gaza plan

Next week, a session of the “Board of Peace” established by Donald Trump will begin at one of Cyprus’s resorts. According to the Times of Israel, the purpose of the meeting is to revisit the stalled strategy for post-war governance of the Gaza Strip. Over the past six months, the council has made no progress due to Hamas’s refusal to disarm and delays in humanitarian aid deliveries.

The talks will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Palestinian technocrats, as well as coordinator of the structures Nikolai Mladenov. The mandate of the “Board of Peace” for the transitional governance of the Gaza Strip is enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution No. 2803 and remains in force until the end of 2027.

On the sidelines of the summit, contacts with Cyprus’s Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos are planned. The republic, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, is participating in the project only as an observer and positions itself as a diplomatic bridge between Europe and the Middle East, stressing that Nicosia is not involved in the financial recovery program for the Strip.