Eight countries in the Middle East and Asia have announced plans to join US President Donald Trump's so-called "Peace Board" on the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to secure a "permanent ceasefire" in the bombed Palestinian enclave.
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they would join the Trump-led board in a joint statement on Wednesday.
"The ministers reiterate their countries' support for the peace efforts led by President Trump," the statement said, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Telegraph.
She added that the board's mission aims to "consolidate a permanent ceasefire, support the reconstruction of Gaza, and advance a just and lasting peace based on the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thus paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region."
The announcement comes just days after the White House revealed the composition of the "Peace Board," which is part of Trump's 20-point plan to end Israel's war against the Palestinians in Gaza.
The board, which includes Trump's senior advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will oversee a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with managing day-to-day affairs in the Strip.
Palestinians in Gaza, who continue to face deadly Israeli military attacks and restrictions on humanitarian aid, have questioned how the US-led mechanisms will work in practice.
Observers have also raised concerns about Trump's inclusion of some staunch supporters of Israel on the "Peace Board," as well as the participation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. /Telegrafi/
