Trump plans to name lineup for peace board

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that an announcement about which world leaders will serve on the Gaza Board of Peace should be made early next year as Hamas proposes a weapons freeze in return for a long-term truce.

Trump told reporters during an economic event in the White House Roosevelt Room that a variety of leaders wanted to be on the board, which was established under a Gaza plan that set up a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants.

Trump said "the kings, the presidents, prime ministers — they all want to be on the Board of Peace". He said it should be announced in the new year.

"It'll be one of the most legendary boards ever. Everybody wants to be on it," he said.

A United Nations Security Council resolution adopted on Nov 17 authorized a Board of Peace and countries working with it to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza.

The resolution, drafted by the US, described the Board of Peace as a transitional administration "that will set the framework, and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza" in line with Trump's 20-point peace plan.

It says the Board of Peace will operate "until such time as the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its reform program …and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza".

According to news website Axios, the Trump administration is planning to appoint a two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force in Gaza. The report on Thursday cited two US officials and two Israeli officials. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.

The latest development on postwar Gaza came as a top leader from Hamas suggested a weapons freeze for a long-term truce.

"The idea of total disarmament is unacceptable to the resistance (Hamas). What is being proposed is a freeze, or storage (of weapons) …to provide guarantees against any military escalation from Gaza with the Israeli occupation," said Khaled Meshaal in an interview aired on Wednesday. "This is the idea we're discussing with the mediators, and I believe that with pragmatic American thinking … such a vision could be agreed upon with the US administration," he said.

The US-sponsored ceasefire deal, in effect since Oct 10, halted the conflict. But it remains fragile as Israel and Hamas accuse each other almost daily of breaches.

Three phases

The agreement is composed of three phases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently indicated that it was about to enter the second phase. Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump in the US later this month to discuss the steps forward in the truce.

The recent diplomatic developments did not stop the attacks in Gaza.

Israeli police raided the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, compound in East Jerusalem early this week.

This drew condemnation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who urged Israel to "immediately take all necessary steps to restore, preserve, and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to these premises".

Hadi Rahmat Purnama, an assistant professor of international law and chair of the Centre for International Law Studies at the Faculty of Law at Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, told China Daily that the protection of Palestinian detainees mainly falls under the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

"Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories are regarded as 'protected persons' under this convention and are entitled to humane treatment and proper legal rights. Israel, as the occupying power, is bound by international law, notably humanitarian law and human rights law," said Purnama.

Jan Yumul in Hong Kong contributed to this story.