Wanted war criminal Netanyahu joins Gaza ‘board of peace’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ⁠has accepted an invitation from United States President Donald Trump to join the “board of ⁠peace on Gaza“ – the phase two element of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

The Israeli leader’s office announced on social media on Wednesday that Netanyahu is to join the initiative, despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) having issued a warrant for his arrest for war crimes in Gaza.

The board "is to be comprised of world leaders," read the statement posted on “X.”

The board was originally thought to be aimed at helping end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction. But its proposed charter does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears to be designed to supplant functions of the UN.

Netanyahu’s acceptance of a place on the board comes despite his office having earlier criticised the makeup of the executive committee, which includes Israel’s regional rival, Turkey.

Arab countries Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have also agreed to join, as have Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Turkey and Vietnam.

It is not clear how many countries have been invited to join Trump's new body -Canada, Russia, and the UK are among them, but have not yet publicly responded.

Norway has said it will not join because the current proposal "raises a number of questions", while France and Sweden have indicated they will do the same.

Netanyahu only seeks ‘Hamas’ disarmament, not peace’

Meanwhile, the Israeli leader’s participation – despite the ICC warrant issued in 2023 that accuses him of overseeing crimes against humanity in Gaza – will add to concerns over the objectivity of the board, which Trump will lead while maintaining control of its lineup.

“Palestinians see Netanyahu as an obstacle to any attempt for the Trump administration to move forward to phase two” of the US president’s peace plan for Gaza, said Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Qalandiya in the occupied West Bank.

They believe, she continued, that Netanyahu’s only interest in the second phase is to implement the disarmament of Hamas, while he remains uninterested in withdrawing troops beyond the so-called yellow line – another key element.

So whether Netanyahu fulfils the duties of the board as presented is yet to be seen, “but there is a lot of scepticism”, Ibrahim summed up.

However, Netanyahu is not the only invitee wanted by the ICC for war crimes. Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to join the board on Monday, despite being indicted over Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin said it was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, without elaborating on whether Putin was inclined to join.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, was also reportedly invited to join the board by Trump.

Netanyahu’s office had previously said the executive committee was not coordinated with the Israeli government and “is contrary to its policy”, without clarifying its objections.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has criticised the board and called for Israel to take unilateral responsibility for Gaza’s future.