Qatar pledges $1B in support for Board of Peace

Qatar pledged $1 billion Thursday in support of the Board of Peace during the first meeting of the group in Washington, reaffirming its commitment to mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Doha "reaffirms its commitment to the Board of Peace as it was committed to the very first day of the mediation efforts."

"Our responsibility remains to achieve a just and lasting resolution," he said, adding that the board, under the leadership of US President Donald Trump, "will advance the full implementation of the 20-point plan without delay, ensuring fairness and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis."

He said the plan seeks "to ensure fairness and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis."

"In this spirit, Qatar pledges $1 billion in support of the board's mission aimed at reaching a final resolution that fulfills Palestinian aspirations for statehood and recognition and Israeli aspirations for security and integration," he said.

Al Thani added that Qatar would continue humanitarian coordination in Gaza with UN partners and the Board of Peace.

The Board of Peace was established within the framework of efforts toward a peaceful settlement in the Gaza Strip. It seeks to promote peacemaking around the world. Washington has said additional states have since joined the initiative.

A US-backed ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Oct. 10, halting Israel's two-year onslaught that has killed more than 72,000 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, killing 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.