The Gaza Peace Council is to meet for the first time in Washington

The White House is planning the first meeting of the so-called Gaza Peace Council, established by US President Donald Trump, on February 19 in Washington. According to the Axios portal, the event is to be held at the American Institute for Peace and will also serve as a conference to raise funds for the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza.

Preparations are still in the early stages and the plan may still change. The day before, Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

The council was established at the end of January to oversee the temporary administration of Gaza and was later to be expanded to address global conflicts. However, this move has raised concerns among experts that it could weaken the role of the UN.

Some of the US's Middle East allies have joined the initiative, but several Western countries remain cautious. Criticism has also come from human rights experts, who point to the absence of Palestinian representation on the council and compare its structure to a colonial model.

(reuters)