Want to know what's on the agenda right now for Gaza? On Wednesday, at the White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided a quick update on the situation in Gaza, and the progress made by what's being called the Board of Peace. It's an interesting, if brief, listen.
.@PressSec: "Tomorrow, @POTUS will host a @BoardOfPeace meeting at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, where he will announce that member states have pledged more than $5B towards the Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and have also committed thousands of personnel… pic.twitter.com/hpt3XwEHEa
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
The Press Secretary said:
Tomorrow, President Trump will hold a Board of Peace meeting at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace where he will announce that member states have pledged more than $5 billion towards the Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and have also committed thousands of personnel to the international stabilization force, and local police to maintain security and peace for Gazans.
Laudable goals, of course. Are they achievable? That depends on a number of things, but two stand out: Hamas and Iran.
Read More: Trump: Board of Peace Has 'Unlimited Potential' for Gaza and Elsewhere
Trump Warns 'Easy Way or Hard Way' As Hamas Reportedly Ignores Disarm Demand
As you might expect, I have some questions.
First, I've been saying and writing all along that there will be no lasting peace in Gaza until Hamas is no longer a factor. At the moment, Hamas remains very much a factor in Gaza, and they will use any peaceful interval to retrain, re-equip, re-arm, and recruit. What's being done about Hamas?
Second, the Press Secretary mentions local police. Will former (and almost certainly current) Hamas members be precluded from involvement in any local policing? If so, how will that screening be done?
Third, what will this international stabilization force be doing? Will they be armed? What will be their Rules of Engagement (RoE)? Will they be purely a reactive force, or will they be engaged in hunting down any remaining Hamas goblins and administering to them their just deserts?
Of course, the elephant in the room remains Iran. Hamas and similar groups of savages exist in large part because of Iran's support. While trying to reform Gaza and bring it into the modern world is worth doing, Iran remains the enabler. If you want to know how likely the civilized world is to reform and rebuild Gaza, look to see what the civilized world does about Iran. A new Iran, or Persia, if you like, that no longer sponsors Islamic terrorism, would take a lot of the wind out of Hamas's sails.
There's no reason for Gaza to remain the hotbed of savagery it is now. It's in a good location, a strip of land on the balmy Mediterranean coast. It could be the vacation spot of the Middle East, with lovely golden sand beaches, magnificent resort hotels, fine dining, and all that goes with it. Such a Gaza would be wealthy and prosperous, comfortable, attracting billions in foreign investments, and providing good-paying jobs to Gazan residents.
But Hamas has to be dealt with first. That should - must - be the first task of this new Board of Peace.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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