While children in Gaza search for warmth inside tents and broken buildings, Washington hosts meetings under the title of a new “Board of Peace” launched by President Donald Trump.

The name sounds important. But the questions are even bigger.

In Gaza, children do not hear conference speeches. They are not protected by slogans about peace hanging on the walls of luxury halls. Under the rubble, mothers know that words do not stop missiles. Statements of condemnation do not rebuild homes. Speeches do not wipe away the tears of a child who has lost his family.

In Gaza, children do not hear conference speeches. They are not protected by slogans about peace hanging on the walls of luxury halls. Under the rubble, mothers know that words do not stop missiles. Statements of condemnation do not rebuild homes. Speeches do not wipe away the tears of a child who has lost his family.

They speak about peace.

But peace does not come with bombing.

It is not born from ruins.

It cannot be written in ink while reality is written in fire.

The problem of legitimacy before politics

The main issue with this “Board of Peace” is not only its political goals, but its legitimacy.

Any framework that ignores the United Nations and international law weakens the global system that was built after World War II. The Palestinian cause has long been addressed through international resolutions and legal frameworks under the United Nations. When a new body acts outside that system, it risks replacing international law with political power.

Without clear international legitimacy, future actions lose their legal foundation, whether reconstruction projects, law enforcement arrangements, or even military or security involvement.

Therefore, peace without legal legitimacy becomes a political tool, not a binding process.

Absent representation and present occupation

One of the most controversial aspects of the meeting was the absence of official Palestinian representation, while Israel, the occupying power, was present at the meeting with a name tag before the representative while no any name tag for Palestine.

One of the most controversial aspects of the meeting was the absence of official Palestinian representation, while Israel, the occupying power, was present at the meeting with a name tag before the representative while no any name tag for Palestine.

How can peace be discussed without the participation of the people living under occupation?

How can the focus be on disarming Gaza while ignoring the ongoing occupation and military operations?

A real peace process must address the root cause of the conflict. Ending violence cannot mean only removing weapons from one side while leaving the political reality unchanged.

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Many major European countries did not attend the first meeting. This absence was not just symbolic. It reflects concerns that the initiative bypasses international institutions and may conflict with established international positions on Palestine.

There are also fears that such a board could reduce Europe’s political role in the Palestinian / Israeli conflict while asking for financial contributions for reconstruction.

Although European caution may seem positive, it does not remove their historical and political responsibility for what is happening in Gaza.

Some argue that this board represents a “practical transition phase”. They say the alternative could be renewed war or a long-term Israeli military administration in Gaza. They speak about realistic needs: temporary housing, jobs, unified police forces, and a minimum level of normal life.

These are important needs. People in Gaza desperately need stability and services.

But realism should not mean ignoring international law. It should not mean turning a humanitarian disaster into an opportunity to impose political arrangements without broad agreement.

True security protects people… it does not simply reorganize power structures.

Any reconstruction or security reform must come from Palestinian consensus and operate within clear international legal frameworks.

Gaza as a test for the world

Gaza today is not just another headline. It is a moral test for the international system.

United Nations officials have repeatedly warned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation: families displaced many times, winter without electricity, severe shortages of water and medical care, and children dying while waiting for medical evacuation.

Any board of peace that does not put civilian protection and an immediate end to violations at the center of its agenda cannot truly be called a board of peace.

So, Gaza needs a new political path. No one denies that.

But peace cannot be built outside international legitimacy. It cannot succeed without Palestinian representation. And it cannot reduce the conflict to a security issue while ignoring the deeper political reality.

The real question is simple:

Do we want a just settlement based on international law?

Or temporary arrangements based on power politics?

Gaza does not need a board that carries the word “peace”.

It needs justice before reconstruction… and law that protects people before plans that redesign the territory. Gazans want the world to treat them as human beings live in the same planet.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

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