Middle East

Gaza, Peace Council kicks off. White House: 'Possible UN replacement'

Trump wants to expand the Board of Peace to include Ukraine and Venezuela. Tajani: 'Italy committed to second phase in Gaza'

16 January 2026Aggiornato il 16 gennaio 2026 alle ore 22:02

Tende improvvisate ospitano i palestinesi sfollati tra gli edifici distrutti dalle operazioni aeree e terrestri israeliane nella città di Gaza, giovedì 15 gennaio 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

"It is a great honour for me to announce the formation of the Peace Council. The members of the Council will be announced shortly, but I can say with certainty that this is the largest and most prestigious Council ever assembled at any time, in any place." Donald Trump announced this on Truth.

According to rumours revealed by the Financial Times, Trump is even considering expanding the Peace Council for Gaza to other hot spots, such as the Ukraine and Venezuela. The quoted sources report that Western and Arab diplomats have expressed misgivings, but the US administration believes that the Council could be a 'potential replacement of the UN, a parallel unofficial body to address conflicts beyond Gaza'.

Invitations to participate in the 'Board of Peace' for Gaza were sent out two days ago and Trump has personally selected who will be part of it. The names could be announced by the tycoon at the Davos Economic Forum next week. The 12-member council, the formation of which is part of phase two of the plan drawn up by the US president, is expected to include leading European leaders, among them Council President Giorgia Meloni. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was also originally expected to participate, but scepticism and hostility from some countries in the region over his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq led to his exclusion. However, the former Labour prime minister will join a separate executive board, along with Trump's advisors Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it is Nickolay Mladenov, former UN Middle East peace envoy and former Bulgarian foreign minister, who will be in charge of the board and the technical committee of 15 Palestinians in charge of current affairs in Gaza. But according to the Financial Times the US also wants the establishment of an executive committee of the 'board', which will include Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The US president also said he was confident that, with the support of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, a comprehensive agreement will be reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas. In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump wrote: 'With the support of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, we will achieve a comprehensive demilitarisation agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of all weapons and the dismantling of every tunnel.

The return of the last body of hostages to Israel is also expected.

Tajani: 'Italy committed to the second phase in Gaza'

During a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which Gaza was also discussed, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani renewed Italy's commitment "to the implementation of the second phase of the US Plan, on the front of humanitarian aid, security, governance and reconstruction". This was reported by Tajani himself in a post on X, in which he also expressed his appreciation for the US role in the release of Alberto Trentini and the other Italian prisoners released from Venezuelan jails.

Berlin: Germany ready for role in Gaza Peace Council

Germany is ready to assume responsibility in the future Gaza Peace Council. This was stated by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, saying that the body would be "an important instrument" to enter a new phase in the political process on the Strip. "We expect concrete talks and perhaps even an invitation to begin shortly," Wadephul said, expressing the hope that we can move "to phase two" of the path. According to the minister, this phase requires first of all the establishment of the Peace Council and then the creation of 'a technocratic administration' led by the Palestinians themselves. 'We need real Palestinian ownership for the future of Gaza,' he stressed, pointing out that this will be possible 'only if Hamas is not part of it'. The exclusion of the Islamist movement, he added, is both 'a condition and a result' of the new political arrangement.

Arab media, Idf killed Jihad commander and wife in Gaza

Arab media report that an Israeli attack hit a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza last night, killing Ahraf al-Khatib, commander of the al-Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Khatib's wife was also killed in the attack. A few hours earlier the IDF had killed six people, including Muhammad al-Hawli, a commander of the armed wing of Hamas, in an attack on his home in Deir al-Balah. The Israeli army did not issue a statement.

The IDF has expanded the area under its control

Three months after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced, satellite images show that the Israeli army has expanded the area under its control in the Gaza Strip, moving the so-called 'Yellow Line' hundreds of metres into territory that should be under Hamas control. Haaretz reports this, pointing out that the pictures were taken by Planet Labs.

These images show that "in several areas along the Yellow Line, there is indeed a discrepancy between the location of the yellow posts on the ground and the position of the Yellow Line indicated in official army publications, including the map published by the Arab spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces," Haaretz pointed out, citing as an example the Shujaiyeh neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, where the yellow posts are located "about 300 metres west of the official Yellow Line.

The BBC also analysed satellite photos, concluding that Israel has moved the blocks of the Yellow Line in 16 places. A spokesperson for the IDF told the Bbc that they reject "all claims that the Yellow Line has been moved or crossed by Israeli troops", stating that the army "is working to visually mark the Yellow Line based on conditions on the ground and the assessment of the ongoing operational situation".