Trump is charging world leaders $1 billion each for their countries to permanently join Gaza ‘Board of Peace’

The $1 billion contribution guarantees permanent membership on the Trump-led board rather than a three-year appointment, for which a contribution is not required, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the charter, which has not been made public. The official said that the money collected will be allocated to rebuilding Gaza.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó told state radio on Sunday that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had accepted an invitation to join the council. Orban is one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Europe.

A Foreign Ministry statement said Vietnamese Communist Party leader Tu Lam also accepted.

A senior government official familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been made public to authorities, said India had received an invitation.

Australia has been invited and will hold talks with the US “to properly understand what this means and what it entails”, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday.

Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan said on Sunday they had received invitations. Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already said they are invited. It is not clear how many people were invited in total.

The United States is expected to announce its official list of members in the coming days, likely during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Council members will oversee the next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire that took effect on October 10 moves into its difficult second phase. The agreement includes the formation of a new Palestinian committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of the war-ravaged sector.

In letters sent Friday to world leaders calling on them to be “founding members,” Trump said the peace council “will embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”

This could become a potential rival to the United Nations Security Council, the most powerful body in the global body created in the wake of World War II. The 15-seat council has been blocked by a US veto from taking action to end the war in Gaza, while the UN’s influence has been diminished by deep funding cuts by the Trump administration and other donors.

Trump’s letters inviting the peace council noted that the Security Council had backed the US 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza, which includes establishing the council. The messages were posted on social media by some of the invitees.

The White House also announced last week an executive committee of leaders who would implement the peace council’s vision, but Israel objected on Saturday, saying the committee “was not coordinated with Israel and conflicts with its policy,” without details. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office represents a rare criticism of his close ally in Washington.

Members of the Executive Committee include US Secretary of State Rubio, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Trump’s Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel, along with billionaire Israeli businessman Yakir Gabbay.

Members also include representatives of ceasefire monitors in Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Türkiye has a tense relationship with Israel, but it has good relations with Hamas and can play an important role in convincing the group to relinquish power in Gaza and disarm.

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Bock reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, Rajesh Roy in New Delhi, and Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report.