Netanyahu accepts invite to Trump's 'Board of Peace'
Mr Trump has extended invitations to dozens of nations and hinted it will soon broker global conflicts, like a pseudo-UN Security Council.
Prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said he has agreed to join President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, after his office earlier criticised the make-up of the board's executive committee.
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A statement from Mr Netanyahu's office said he had accepted Mr Trump's invitation.
The Board of Peace, led by Mr Trump, was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan.
The Trump administration's ambitions have ballooned into a more sprawling concept, with Mr Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it will soon broker global conflicts, like a pseudo-UN Security Council.
More details were expected when Mr Trump participates in an announcement about the Board of Peace on Thursday at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Read more: Trump demands nations 'pay $1 billion to stay on Gaza peace board'
The board's charter has not yet been made public, but a draft version obtained by The Associated Press indicates much of the power will be concentrated in the hands of Mr Trump himself.
A one billion dollars contribution secures permanent membership, the draft said.
So far, at least nine countries - Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina and Belarus - have agreed to take part. Later Egypt said it has accepted Mr Trump's invitation.
The Egyptian statement came as President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is in Davos, where he is scheduled to meet Mr Trump.
Invitation letters from Mr Trump also have been sent to Paraguay's leader Santiago Pena, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Plus, Russia, Israel, India, Slovenia, Thailand and the European Union's executive arm have said they received invitations.
The Kremlin is now "studying the details" and will seek clarity of "all the nuances" in contacts with the US, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Mr Trump confirmed on Monday night that Russian president Vladimir Putin had been invited.
It was not immediately clear how many or which other leaders would receive invitations.
The White House also announced the members of another board, the Gaza Executive Board, which, according to the ceasefire, will be in charge of implementing the tough second phase of the agreement.
That includes deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and rebuilding the war-devastated territory.
The board also will supervise a newly appointed committee of Palestinian technocrats who will be running Gaza's day-to-day affairs.
Who is on Trump’s Board of Peace?
Executive Board members:
Marco Rubio (US Secretary of State), Steve Witkoff (Trump envoy), Jared Kushner (Trump's son-in-law), Tony Blair (former British PM), Marc Rowan (Apollo Global Management CEO), Ajay Banga (World Bank President), Robert Gabriel Jr. (Trump's deputy national security adviser)
Gaza Executive Board members:
Nickolay Mladenov (High Representative for Gaza)
Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Tony Blair, Marc Rowan, Hakan Fidan (Turkish Foreign Minister), Ali Al-Thawadi (Qatari diplomat), Hassan Rashad (director of Egypt's General Intelligence Agency), Reem Al-Hashimy (Emirati minister), Yakir Gabay (Israeli businessman), Sigrid Kaag (former Dutch deputy PM)
Strategic Advisers:
Aryeh Lightstone, Josh Gruenbaum
Palestinian Administration:
Ali Shaath (leads National Committee for the Administration of Gaza)