Trump Gaza Peace Council faces funding shortfall

The Trump‑initiated Gaza Peace Council, created to oversee a $70 billion reconstruction plan for the war‑torn Gaza Strip, reports a large gap between pledged and disbursed funds. Donors, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Kuwait, have so far contributed only a fraction of the $17 billion promised, undermining the council’s ability to move the plan forward. In a May 15 report to the UN Security Council, the council urged members to accelerate payments, warning that the shortfall turns a paper framework into an ineffective one on the ground.

The council notes that about 85 % of Gaza’s buildings and infrastructure have been destroyed, with an estimated 70 million tonnes of debris to clear. Membership rules require each state to pay $1 billion annually for a permanent seat, but it is unclear whether any have met that condition. The funding delay threatens to stall reconstruction that is expected to cost over $70 billion after more than two and a half years of Israeli bombardment.