ISTANBUL

Qatar and Saudi Arabia each pledged $1 billion to support US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, as they signaled financial backing for efforts aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and advancing regional stability.

Speaking at the board’s first meeting in Washington, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Doha “reaffirms its commitment to the Board of Peace as it was committed to the very first day of the mediation efforts.”

“Our responsibility remains to achieve a just and lasting resolution,” he said, adding that the board, under the leadership of President Trump, “will advance the full implementation of the 20-point plan without delay, ensuring fairness and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis.”

He said the plan seeks “to ensure fairness and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis.”

“In this spirit, Qatar pledges $1 billion in support of the board’s mission aimed at reaching a final resolution that fulfills Palestinian aspirations for statehood and recognition and Israeli aspirations for security and integration,” he said.

Sheikh Mohammed added that Qatar would continue humanitarian coordination in Gaza with UN partners and the Board of Peace.

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir also announced a $1 billion pledge over the coming years in support of the board’s objectives.

Al-Jubeir referenced the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative launched by the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and adopted unanimously by Arab and Islamic countries, saying Saudi Arabia remains committed to a vision of peace, prosperity, security and regional integration under King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“We look forward to working with the Board of Peace to establish this noble objective,” Al-Jubeir said, adding that the kingdom “will pledge $1 billion over the next few years in order to achieve this objective” by alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians and bringing them peace along with the whole region.

The Board of Peace was established within the framework of efforts toward a peaceful settlement in the Gaza Strip. It seeks to promote peacemaking around the world. Washington has said additional states have since joined the initiative.

A US-backed ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Oct. 10, halting Israel’s two-year onslaught that has killed more than 72,000 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, killing 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.