BRUSSELS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to discuss with EU leaders the US invitation to join President Donald Trump's Gaza Board of Peace, a commission spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the EU Commission's midday briefing, spokesperson Olof Gill said the EU appreciates the invitation and shares the goal of achieving peace, particularly in relation to phase two of efforts to end the Gaza conflict.
"We are actively discussing with the US how we can jointly reach this objective, and we stand in close contact also with our other partners on this matter," Gill said.
He added that von der Leyen is currently focused on preparations for the European Council meeting on Thursday, where the issue of the US peace initiative is expected to be discussed.
The creation of the board coincided with the launch of phase two of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas that halted Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.
The initiative is part of a 20-point plan proposed by Trump and adopted by the UN Security Council as a resolution last November.