Pakistan accepts Trump's invitation to join 'Board of Peace' on Gaza

Pakistan on Wednesday said that it has accepted US President Donald Trump's invitation to join the "Board of Peace" on Gaza.

"In response to the invitation extended to (Pakistani) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif by the President of the United States, H.E. Donald J. Trump, Pakistan would like to announce its decision to join the Board of Peace (BoP) as part of its ongoing efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan under the framework of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

"Pakistan expresses the hope that with the creation of this framework, concrete steps will be taken towards the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, as well as reconstruction of Gaza," the statement added.

Last week, the White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace alongside the approval of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, one of four bodies designated to manage the transitional phase in the enclave.

The creation of the board coincided with the launch of phase two of a ceasefire agreement, which halted Israel's war on Gaza that has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

Separately, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on US social media company X on Wednesday that he received an invitation from Trump to "join as a Founding Member State and become a party to the Charter of the Board of Peace."

Besides Cambodia, Trump also invited several other countries from the region, including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.