Middle East

Gaza, the Pope and Putin invited to the Board of Peace. Three more journalists killed in the Strip

Trump said he 'thinks he knows' the whereabouts of the body of the latest hostage, Israeli police Sergeant Major Ran Gvili

21 January 2026

Famiglie palestinesi sfollate trovano rifugio all’interno della moschea Bilal a Khan Yunis, nella Striscia di Gaza meridionale, il 20 gennaio 2026,. EPA/HAITHAM IMAD

6' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

6' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted US President Donald Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace for Gaza. The announcement came from the prime minister's office, in a statement picked up by the Israeli media, formalising Israel's membership in the multilateral body wanted by Washington to foster a stabilisation path in the Strip.

With the decision in Jerusalem, the Board - also referred to as the Gaza Peace Council - expands its international membership. In addition to Israel, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam participate, outlining a heterogeneous perimeter that unites Eurasian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American countries under the US umbrella.

On the regional front, there is also Ankara's activism. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that Turkey 'will continue to act in coordination with the United States' to support peace efforts in Gaza. The position was reiterated during a phone call with Trump, during which Erdogan - according to a note from the Ankara Republic Presidency - thanked the US leader for the invitation to the Council.

Parolin: "Invited to the board of peace on Gaza, the Pope is evaluating"

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Vatican has also received Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace. "The Pope has received the invitation and we are seeing what to do, we are looking into it. It's a question that needs some time to give the answer,' said the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Kremlin: Putin is also 'evaluating'. And Trump exults

An invitation that reached Moscow, from where Putin thanked the US president. This was reported by the Russian news agency Tass, saying that the Russian leader had instructed the Foreign Ministry to study a proposal for the Peace Council and to consult with its partners. "Only then will we be able to respond to the invitation addressed to us," Putin said during a meeting with the Russian Security Council. "Russian assets frozen in the US could be used to rebuild the territories damaged by the fighting after an eventual peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine," Putin is reported to have added, quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency. The Russian leader did not specify what these territories are: in Russia or even in the occupied areas of Ukraine. "Considering Russia's special relationship with the Palestinian people, I believe we could allocate $1 billion of Russian assets frozen under the previous US administration to the Board of Peace," the Russian leader said. "The remaining funds of our assets frozen in the US could also be used to rebuild the territories damaged by fighting after the conclusion of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine," he continued. The Russian leader went on to say that this possibility is also being discussed with US administration officials. A response welcomed by Trump with enthusiasm: Vladimir Putin 'accepted my invitation to join the Board of Peace for Gaza', the US president immediately declared in an interview with Cnbc. To those who pointed out that many have criticised him for involving questionable figures, Trump replied that some are 'controversial', but 'if I only invited people who were beyond reproach, there wouldn't be many people'.

Berlin will not participate in Trump's Board of Peace

Instead, the German government has reportedly already confirmed that it does not intend to participate in the Peace Council proposed by President Donald Trump for the handling of the Gaza Strip. This was reported by the German weekly Der Spiegel, which read out a Foreign Ministry directive sent to German representatives in Brussels. Trump's proposal is seen as 'an alternative project to the United Nations', whereas the German government intends to strengthen the international order with the United Nations and its charter'. This is why the government is 'surprised' at how Trump's proposal goes far beyond Gaza and the relevant UN Security Council resolution.

Gaza: PM Japan invited to attend Board of Peace

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also been invited by US President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace. This was announced today by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

According to a ministry official, Takaichi is considering whether to participate. The initiative has already caused controversy, as some observers fear that its mandate could extend to other conflicts and that the body could turn into an alternative to the United Nations over time.

Last week, Trump announced the creation of the board as part of the second phase of a US-led 20-point plan for the war-torn Gaza Strip. The US president serves as chairman of the body.

Albanian Parliament debates Board membership tomorrow

The Albanian government today approved the country's membership of the Board of Peace for Gaza, desired and conceived by US President Donald Trump. The invitation to Albania was interpreted by Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama as a sign of appreciation for the country. "It is a privilege, and an honour, to express my full readiness to contribute in this common effort, and to be part of a common endeavour," Rama wrote in his written response to Trump's invitation, anticipating his position in favour. Albania will endeavour to conclude all procedures quickly, and tomorrow Parliament has been convened in a special session to ratify the country's participation in the Board.

Media Israel: Trump knows where Gvili's body is

Trump stated that 'we think we know' the whereabouts of the body of the latest hostage, Israeli police Sergeant Major Ran Gvili, in the Gaza Strip. Trump said this during a press conference at the White House: pointing out the passage is the Times of Israel. "They still have one and we think we know where he is, unbelievable, it looked like we were never going to get close, now they almost did," Trump said referring to Gvili's remains, writes the Israeli news outlet. Gvili's parents, Itzik and Talik, responded that in light of Trump's statements, the US and Israel must exert all possible pressure to ensure that Hamas returns their son. "President Trump's statement confirms what we have been saying for the past three months," they said, "Hamas knows exactly where our son is and has knowingly and deliberately violated President Trump's framework and agreement to return all hostages," the Gvili's said in a statement released by the Hostage Families Forum. "The responsibility," they further said, "now falls on the government of Israel and the US administration to exercise all their authority to ensure that Hamas fulfils its obligations under the agreement, or ensure that severe sanctions are imposed on Hamas. Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman told Al Jazeera that the Palestinian terrorist group has passed on everything it knows about Gvili's body and is working to find him.

Hamas: eight dead and six injured in Gaza Strip since dawn

Changing information previously provided by several Gaza sources, the Hamas Ministry of Health states that since dawn today, eight people (and not 11) have been killed and six wounded in the Gaza Strip. The note reports that hospitals received six wounded and the bodies of eight victims, without indicating identities, precise locations or the severity of the injuries.

Palestinian media wrote that the dead included a woman and a child killed near Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip, three members of the same family, including a minor, killed in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central part, and three journalists working for an Egyptian government aid agency, killed in the al Zahra area, in central Gaza. According to the same sources, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received the bodies of Hanan Hamdan, 32, killed on the Hamas-controlled side of the ceasefire line, and Moatasem al Sharafi, 13, killed on the Israeli-controlled side. The al Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Deir al Balah reportedly received the bodies of Sirhan, Muhammad and Mussa al Rajoudi, aged 10, 37 and 22, killed near the city on the Hamas-controlled side. There was no immediate comment from the IDF on the individual incidents. The army regularly states that it opens fire against armed men who cross the ceasefire line and pose a threat to the troops. As for the three journalists, Abed Shaat, Anas Ghoneim and Muhammad Qashta, the Egyptian Relief Committee said they were killed while documenting a humanitarian camp in the al Zahra area. The IDF said the three were piloting a Hamas-affiliated drone believed to be a threat to Israeli soldiers in the area.