Indian group condemns Trump’s “Board of Peace”
India-Palestine Solidarity Network says proposed US-led body legitimizes war crimes, sidelines Palestinians and deepens Gaza’s humanitarian crisis
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has sharply criticized a proposed U.S.-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine announced by Donald J. Trump, warning that the initiative risks legitimizing war crimes, excluding Palestinians from decision-making and worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
In a statement issued recently, the network said the plan — which Trump has described as a mechanism for governance and reconstruction — “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds” and effectively hands control over Gaza’s future to external powers and Israel. The statement was signed by Indian civil society figures Ranjan Solomon, John Dayal, Maimoona Mollah and Vineet Tiwari.
According to the group, the proposed board places Trump himself at its head and includes figures closely aligned with Israel, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while excluding Palestinian authorities and representatives of Palestinian civil society. The network said this structure violated basic principles of self-determination and international law.
The statement cited figures from Gaza’s health authorities and reports by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UNRWA, saying that since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 170,000 injured and around 1.9 million displaced — nearly the entire pre-war population of Gaza. Large parts of Gaza City, Khan Younis and Rafah have been reduced to rubble, with housing, hospitals, schools and other essential infrastructure severely damaged.
The network also questioned the composition of the proposed executive committees, which reportedly include senior U.S. officials, business leaders and former Western politicians, alongside selected regional actors.
It argued that several members have direct links to real estate, finance and investment sectors, raising concerns that reconstruction plans could prioritize commercial interests over humanitarian needs.
IPSN said participation in the board would reportedly require countries to commit at least $1 billion, a threshold it said would effectively exclude Palestinians from shaping decisions about their own recovery and governance. Even symbolic Palestinian involvement, it argued, would not offset the power imbalance built into the structure.
The inclusion of Netanyahu was described as particularly troubling, with the statement noting that the International Criminal Court is pursuing arrest warrants related to war crimes in Gaza, including attacks on civilians and restrictions on humanitarian aid. Rights groups estimate that more than 80% of Gaza’s housing stock has been damaged or destroyed.
The statement said the proposed board failed to address core political issues such as Israel’s blockade of Gaza, settlement expansion in the West Bank and Palestinian self-determination, instead favoring limited regional partnerships and Israeli participation.
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