Bloomberg News has revealed, citing a draft document, that the administration of US President Donald Trump is demanding that states pay a contribution of no less than one billion US dollars in order to remain members of the new Peace Council he is set to chair regarding the Gaza Strip.
According to the draft charter of the proposed group, reviewed by Bloomberg, President Trump will assume the first presidency of the council and will also determine which parties are invited to join. The draft stipulates that the council’s decisions are to be taken by majority vote, with each member state holding one vote. However, all decisions remain subject to the president’s approval.
A Bloomberg report stated that the term of membership for each state will not exceed three years from the date the charter enters into force, with renewal subject to a decision by President Trump.
Under the draft, the three-year membership term does not apply to member states that contribute more than one billion US dollars in cash to the Peace Council during its first year.
Critics fear that Trump is seeking to establish an alternative or rival body to the United Nations, an organisation he has repeatedly criticised.
The draft charter describes the council as an international organisation seeking to promote stability, restore effective and lawful governance, and ensure the achievement of lasting peace in areas affected by or threatened with conflict. The council would become official once three member states approve the charter.
Trump would also be responsible for approving the official seal of the group, according to the document.
Key Details of the Draft
Trump has invited several world leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, to be part of a Gaza-specific Peace Council, which would be formed under the broader umbrella of the new Peace Council.
This plan quickly drew criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes in Gaza, and who said that the details of the proposal had not been coordinated with Israel.
Information from informed sources cited by Bloomberg indicates that several European countries have been invited to join the Peace Council.
The draft charter also states that Trump himself would have control over the funds, a condition that most potential member states are unlikely to accept, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The sources added that several countries strongly oppose Trump’s draft charter and are working to coordinate collective efforts to obstruct the proposals.
The charter stipulates that the council will hold voting meetings at least once a year, and at any additional times and locations the president deems appropriate. The meeting agenda would be subject to presidential approval.
The council will also hold regular non-voting meetings with its executive council, with these meetings to take place at least quarterly.
The president would further have the authority to dismiss any member, unless the decision is opposed by two-thirds of the member states. The document states that President Trump may at any time appoint a successor to him in the position of president.
Netanyahu Not Consulted
Meanwhile, the Axios website quoted a US official as confirming that Netanyahu was not consulted regarding the formation of the national committee for administering Gaza, as he has no right to intervene. The official stated that if Netanyahu wanted the United States to deal with Gaza, it would be done according to Washington’s approach, adding that Netanyahu had been bypassed in this matter.
The US official added that Netanyahu would continue his policies while the United States would proceed with its plan, and that he could not practically oppose it. The official stressed that Netanyahu must adhere to the Trump administration’s management programme unless he wished to return his forces to fighting in Gaza, with the United States withdrawing from the process.
In this context, the US source told Axios that Trump’s advisers have very limited patience with Netanyahu’s objections to moving forward with the second phase of the Gaza plan.
The White House announced on Friday evening the formation of what it termed a Peace Council, alongside the approval of the composition of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, as part of the second phase of the comprehensive plan put forward by President Trump to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Early on Saturday, the US administration announced the composition of the Peace Council and the appointment of a senior representative in the Gaza Strip, as the Palestinian technocratic committee for administering the territory, headed by Ali Shaath, began its work.
The initial executive committee includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son in law Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, before the formation of the full council.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X that he looks forward to working with Ali Shaath and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to build a better future for the people of Gaza and the wider region.
