Despite promised over $17 billion, the 'Peace Council' received less than a billion, hindering the launch of Gaza management and disarmament negotiations.
Of the nine countries that promised to allocate funds for the 'Peace Council' created by U.S. President Donald Trump, only the UAE, Morocco, and the U.S. itself have done so, Reuters reported on Friday, April 10, citing sources. The total amount raised was less than $1 billion, according to DW.
At the 'Peace Council' meeting in Washington in February, Trump announced that the member countries of the organization - Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait - had promised to allocate $7 billion for the Gaza sector. The U.S. was to add another $10 billion to this amount, and the UN was to contribute $2 billion. The funds were to be used, among other things, to finance the National Committee for Gaza Management (NCAG), which was planned to take control of the region after the disarmament of Hamas.
According to Reuters, 'Peace Council' representative Nikolai Mladenov told Palestinian organizations that 'there is currently no money.' The 'Council' rejected reports of a funding shortfall. 'The Peace Council is a compact organization focused on implementation and execution, which attracts capital as needed. There are no financial constraints. To date, all funding requests have been met immediately and in full,' the organization's statement said.
Gaza Management Delayed
Negotiations for the disarmament of Hamas, mediated by Egypt, are ongoing but remain fruitless. Israel insists that Hamas must lay down its arms before troop withdrawal, while Hamas demands guarantees of a ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army.
According to a source in diplomatic circles cited by Reuters, the negotiations have reached an impasse, and there are concerns that Israel may use the situation as a pretext to resume a large-scale military operation.
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