PM Sharif Joins Trump-Hosted Gaza Peace Board Summit as World Leaders Weigh Cease-Fire, Reconstruction

WASHINGTON: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend a high-stakes meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace on Thursday, convened by U.S. President Donald Trump, as international leaders seek to consolidate a cease-fire and marshal financing for Gaza’s postwar reconstruction.

The Pakistani delegation will include Information Minister Atta Tarar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is already in the United States ahead of the talks, officials said.

The summit will take place at the newly designated Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace, with the agenda centered on advancing the next phase of a Gaza cease-fire and launching a coordinated global fundraising drive to rebuild critical infrastructure and civilian services.

Officials said leaders and senior representatives from more than 20 countries are participating, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo and Albania. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently obtained board membership, will not attend the meeting.

The summit follows a rare joint statement by the foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority countries — Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — condemning new Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank. The ministers called the moves a violation of international law and warned they undermine prospects for a durable peace in Gaza.

Media reports have described Israel’s participation in the Gaza Peace Board as contentious, noting that Israel is a party to the conflict and would have a role in overseeing compliance with a cease-fire it is itself implementing.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the “complete and immediate” disarmament of Hamas is essential to any lasting settlement. He said the Board of Peace could become “the most effective international institution in history,” adding that chairing it would be an honor.

According to officials briefed on the initiative, the board will oversee postwar stabilization and recovery in Gaza, including Hamas’ disarmament under the second phase of a 20-point peace framework outlined by Trump. The body is also expected to consider deploying an international security force to enforce a cease-fire, with Pakistan widely viewed as a potential contributor given its experience in multinational peace operations.

Permanent membership on the board requires a reported $1 billion fee, officials said.

Several European governments declined Trump’s invitation to participate, including France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Canada’s invitation was also withdrawn.

After the summit, Sharif is scheduled to meet at the U.S. State Department with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Additional engagements with senior U.S. officials are expected during the visit.