INTERNACIONAL
Trump convenes first ‘Board of Peace’ meeting as Gaza rebuild hinges on Hamas disarmament
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President Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace is set to hold its first meeting Thursday, with administration officials and participating countries framing the gathering as a step toward implementing the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction effort rather than a moment likely to deliver an immediate breakthrough.
At least 20 countries are expected to attend the inaugural session in Washington, where Trump is slated to chair discussions on a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction framework, humanitarian coordination and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
Trump unveiled the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. Initial members include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Argentina, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Vietnam.
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President Donald Trump, center, holds up a signed Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Evan Vucci / AP Photo)
On Sunday, Trump said members of the initiative had already pledged $5 billion toward rebuilding Gaza and would commit personnel to international stabilization and policing efforts. «The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential international body in history, and it is my honor to serve as its Chairman,» Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the commitments.
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, has announced a plan to train a future Gaza police force, while Indonesia has committed thousands of troops to a prospective international stabilization mission expected to deploy later this year.
The United Arab Emirates, a founding participant in the initiative, said it plans to continue its humanitarian engagement in Gaza.
«The UAE remains committed to scaling up its humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza and to advancing a durable peace between Israelis and Palestinians,» the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, noting its role as a founding member of the Board of Peace and part of the Gaza Executive Board.
Even as Gulf and regional partners signal willingness to fund humanitarian needs, long-term reconstruction remains tied to security conditions on the ground.
TRUMP SEEKS DAVOS SIGNING CEREMONY FOR GAZA BOARD OF PEACE
Hamas terrorists stand in formation as Palestinians gather on a street to watch the handover of three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Disarmament remains the central test
Analysts say the meeting’s significance will hinge less on headline announcements and more on whether participants align on the unresolved core issue shaping Gaza’s future: Hamas’ disarmament.
Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, argued the meeting’s credibility will depend on whether participants coalesce around a clear position on disarmament. «Unless there is going to be a joint statement coming out of it that clearly says Hamas has to disarm — to me the meeting would be a failure,» he said, because it would show «the U.S. cannot get everyone on the same page.»
Funding is also expected to dominate discussions, though diplomats and analysts caution that pledges may not translate quickly into large-scale reconstruction.
«We’re going to see pledges,» al-Omari told Fox News Digital, «with a footnote that a pledge does not always translate to deliverables,» urging attention to which countries commit funds and whether the money is earmarked for humanitarian aid, stabilization or long-term rebuilding.
John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), also cautioned that early financial pledges are unlikely to translate into immediate large-scale reconstruction. «I can’t imagine that much of that initial pledge or any of it is going to actual long-term or even medium-term reconstruction of Gaza. Just too many parties won’t support it, pending actual progress on the core question of disarmament and demilitarization of Hamas,» he said.
Hannah added that the financing challenge remains enormous. «It’s been a major outstanding question: How are you going to fund this tremendous bill that is going to come due over the course of the next several years?» he said. «I’ve been watching this now for 35 years, and if I had $100 for every time a major Arab country pledged support for the Palestinians but not delivered, I’d be a relatively wealthy man.»
NETANYAHU AGREES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA BOARD OF PEACE AFTER INITIAL PUSHBACK
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) hold a document after their meeting in Washington, United States, on Feb. 11, 2026. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Netanyahu signs on despite Turkey, Qatar tensions
The initiative has also highlighted political tensions surrounding Israel’s participation, particularly given the involvement of Turkey and Qatar.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed on to the agreement last week during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, placing Israel formally inside the framework despite earlier Israeli objections to Ankara and Doha playing a central role in Gaza’s future.
Hannah said Netanyahu’s decision reflects strategic calculations tied to Washington. «I think the prime minister doesn’t want to anger the president. He’s prioritizing his really good strategic relationship with Trump over this tactical difference over Turkey and Qatar,» he said. «The prime minister is just making a basic calculation of where Israel’s interests lie here and trying to balance these competing factors.»
US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL
President Donald Trump and several foreign leaders attend the signing ceremony of the Peace Charter for Gaza at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026. (Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)
European allies raise legal concerns
Beyond Gaza, the initiative has sparked concern among European allies, many of whom have declined to join the board.
European officials told Fox News Digital the group’s charter raises legal and institutional questions and may conflict with the original U.N. framework that envisioned a Gaza-focused mechanism.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, European leaders argued the Board of Peace’s mandate appears to diverge from the U.N. Security Council resolution that initially supported a Gaza-specific body.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the resolution envisioned a time-limited structure tied directly to Gaza and to the U.N., but that the board’s current charter no longer reflects those provisions. «The U.N. Security Council resolution provided for a Board of Peace for Gaza… it provided for it to be limited in time until 2027… and referred to Gaza, whereas the statute of the Board of Peace makes no reference to any of these things,» she said. «So I think there is a Security Council resolution but the Board of Peace does not reflect it.»
In response, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz criticized what he described as excessive concern over the initiative and argued the status quo in Gaza was unsustainable, and attacked what he said was «hand-wringing» about the Board of Peace — saying the cycle of war with Hamas in control had to be broken.
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff take part in a charter announcement for the president’s Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, alongside the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF). The event took place in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
Not a replacement for the United Nations
Despite European unease, analysts say the Board of Peace is unlikely to replace the U.N. system.
Al-Omari dismissed the idea that the initiative poses a serious institutional challenge, arguing that major powers remain deeply invested in the existing multilateral structure.
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U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a charter announcement for his Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, alongside the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2026. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Hannah agreed, saying the administration appears to view Thursday’s meeting primarily as incremental progress rather than any kind of major breakthrough. «The way the administration is looking at this is just another sign of continued progress and momentum, rather than any kind of major breakthrough,» he concluded.
donald trump,middle east foreign policy,israel,benjamin netanyahu,wars,turkey,united nations,europe,world
El transporte «lo ves y no lo ves»
INTERNACIONAL
Trump DOJ probes Michigan schools over gender curriculum, joins lawsuit against LA race-based program
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The Trump Justice Department on Wednesday launched investigations into three Michigan public school districts over gender-related classroom instruction and sought to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging a race-based admission and funding program in Los Angeles — intensifying the administration’s push into school policy disputes nationwide.
The Civil Rights Division said it is examining whether the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and the Lansing School District included «sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in any class for grades pre-K-12.»
If such instruction is provided, investigators will assess whether parents were notified of their right to opt their children out and whether the districts «limit access to single-sex intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, based on biological sex.»
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the department is focused on enforcing parental rights and Title IX.
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Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon arrives for a news conference at the Justice Department on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to ending the growing trend of local school authorities embedding sexuality and gender ideology in every aspect of public education,» Dhillon said.
She added that «Supreme Court precedent is clear: parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing of their children,» including exempting them from instruction that conflicts with their beliefs.
Dhillon also said Title IX requires protecting «the safety, dignity, and innocence of our youngest citizens… by ensuring that they have unfettered access to bathrooms and locker rooms of their biological sex.»
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The Department of Justice announced actions involving three Michigan school districts and Los Angeles Unified School District on Wednesday. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The department noted the Michigan districts receive «hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding» and said investigators will evaluate compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Officials emphasized the Civil Rights Division «has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations.»
In a separate action, the Justice Department said it is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit 1776 Project Foundation challenging the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Predominately Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other (PHBAO) Program.
According to the department’s proposed complaint, the program categorizes students by race and neighborhood demographics for funding and magnet school admissions, separating students into «Anglo,» meaning White, and other racial categories. Neighborhoods with fewer than 30% White residents are designated as disadvantaged, and certain schools receive additional funding, a reduced student-teacher ratio by 5.5 students, and magnet admissions preferences.
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AG Pam Bondi said «treating Americans equally is not a suggestion» in a DOJ statement on the matter. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The complaint states LAUSD treats attending school with non-White students «as a disadvantage equal to attending an overcrowded school.»
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the federal government is intervening to enforce equal protection guarantees.
«Treating Americans equally is not a suggestion — it is a core constitutional guarantee that educational institutions must follow,» Bondi said.
Dhillon said students «should never be classified or treated differently because of their race,» adding that «Racial discrimination is unlawful and un-American.»
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said LAUSD’s desegregation program has «outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional.»
The Michigan investigations remain ongoing, and the LAUSD case is pending in federal court.
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Representatives for the Michigan districts did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
«Because this matter involves pending litigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics,» LAUSD said in a statement. «However, Los Angeles Unified remains firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services and enriching educational opportunities.»
justice department,education,pam bondi
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EXCLUSIVE: This was the kind of prison break officials say could have changed the region, and perhaps even the world, overnight.
Nearly 6,000 ISIS detainees, described by a senior U.S. intelligence official as «the worst of the worst,» were being held in northern Syria as clashes and instability threatened the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the guards responsible for keeping the militants locked away and preventing a feared ISIS resurgence. U.S. officials believed that if the prisons collapsed in the chaos, the consequences would be immediate.
«If these 6,000 or so got out and returned to the battlefield, that would basically be the instant reconstitution of ISIS,» the senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital.
In an exclusive interview, the official walked Fox News Digital step by step through the behind-the-scenes operation that moved thousands of ISIS detainees out of Syria and into Iraqi custody, describing a multi-agency scramble that unfolded over weeks, with intelligence warnings, rapid diplomacy and a swift military lift.
US MILITARY LAUNCHES AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISIS TARGETS IN SYRIA, OFFICIALS SAY
ISIS wives and children remain in «fragile» Syrian detention camps under Damascus control while male fighters transfer to Iraq, leaving detention crisis unresolved. ( Santiago Montag/Anadolu via Getty Image)
The risk, the official explained, had been building for months. In late October, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard began to assess that Syria’s transition could tip into disorder and create the conditions for a catastrophic jailbreak.
The ODNI sent the official to Syria and Iraq at that time to begin early discussions with both the SDF and the Iraqi government about how to remove what the official repeatedly described as the most dangerous detainees before events overtook them.
Those fears sharpened in early January as fighting erupted in Aleppo and began spreading eastward. Time was running out to prevent catastrophe. «We saw this severe crisis situation,» the official said.
U.S. ANNOUNCES MORE MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST ISIS: ‘WE WILL NOT RELENT’
A fighter of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) holds an ISIL flag and a weapon on a street in the city of Mosul, June 23, 2014. (Reuters Photo)
According to the source, the ODNI oversaw daily coordination calls across agencies as the situation escalated. The official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was «managing the day to day» on policy considerations, while the ODNI drove a working group that kept CENTCOM, diplomats and intelligence officials aligned on the urgent question: how to keep nearly 6,000 ISIS fighters from slipping into the fog of war.
The Iraqi government, the official said, understood the stakes. Baghdad had its own reasons to move quickly, fearing that if thousands of detainees escaped, they would spill across the border and revive a threat Iraq still remembers in visceral terms.
The official described Iraq’s motivation bluntly: leaders recognized that a massive breakout could force Iraq back into a «2014 ISIS is on our border situation once more.»
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the official said, played a pivotal role in smoothing the diplomatic runway for what would become a major logistical undertaking.
Then came the physical lift. The official credited CENTCOM’s surge of resources to make the plan real on the ground, saying that «moving in helicopters» and other assets enabled detainees to be removed in a compressed timeframe.
«Thanks to the efforts… moving in helicopters, moving in more resources, and then just logistically making this happen, we were able to get these nearly 6000 out in the course of just a few weeks,» the official said.
ISIS FIGHTERS STILL AT LARGE AFTER SYRIAN PRISON BREAK, CONTRIBUTING TO VOLATILE SECURITY SITUATION
A view of Hol Camp, where families linked to the Islamic State group are being held, in Hasakah province, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Izz Aldien Alqasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The SDF, he said, had been securing the prisons, but its attention was strained by fighting elsewhere, fueling U.S. fears that a single breach could spiral into a mass escape. Ultimately, detainees were transported into Iraq, where they are now held at a facility near Baghdad International Airport under Iraqi authority.
The next phase, the official said, is focused on identification and accountability. FBI teams are in Iraq enrolling detainees biometrically, the official said, while U.S. and Iraqi officials examine what intelligence can be declassified and used in prosecutions.
«What they were asking us for, basically, is giving them as much intelligence and information that we have on these individuals,» the official said. «So right now, the priority is on biometrically identifying these individuals.»
The official said the State Department is also pushing countries of origin to take responsibility for their citizens held among the detainees.
«State Department is doing outreach right now and encouraging all these different countries to come and pick up their fighters,» he said.
While the transfer focused strictly on ISIS fighters, the senior intelligence official said families held in camps such as al-Hol were not part of the operation, leaving a major unresolved security and humanitarian challenge.
ISIS EXPLOITING SYRIA’S CHAOS AS US STRIKES EXPOSE GROWING THREAT
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters pose for a photo with the American flag on stage after a SDF victory ceremony announcing the defeat of ISIL in Baghouz was held at Omer Oil Field on March 23, 2019 in Baghouz, Syria. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The camps themselves were under separate arrangements, the official said, and responsibility shifted as control on the ground evolved.
According to the official, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government reached an understanding that Damascus would take over the al-Hol camp, which holds thousands of ISIS-affiliated women and children.
«As you can see from social media, the al-Hol camp is pretty much being emptied out,» the official said, adding that it «appears the Syrian government has decided to let them go free,» a scenario the official described as deeply troubling for regional security. «That is very concerning.»
The fate of the families has long been viewed by counterterrorism officials as one of the most complicated, unresolved elements of the ISIS detention system. Many of the children have grown up in camps after ISIS lost territorial control, and some are now approaching fighting age, raising fears about future radicalization and recruitment.
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Iraqi security forces pose with ISIS flag which they pulled from University of Anbar on July 26, 2015. Forces clashed with ISIS militants inside the compound. (Reuters)
For now, the official said, intelligence agencies are closely tracking developments after a rapid operation that, in their view, prevented thousands of experienced ISIS militants from reentering the battlefield at once and potentially reigniting the group’s fighting force.
«This is a rare good news story coming out of Syria,» the official concluded.
syria,iraq,isis,national security,fbi,terrorism
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