The Architect of Gaza’s Destruction Joins Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

As Israeli forces kill Palestinians in Gaza and bomb Lebanon, Netanyahu’s appointment exposes the true function of Washington’s so-called peace framework

Palestine | PUREWILAYAH.COM - On January 21, 2026, as US President Donald Trump addressed elites at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Israeli occupation forces were carrying out fresh acts of violence across the region.

In Gaza, 11 Palestinians were killed in a single day, including two children and three journalists. Hours later, Israeli warplanes launched heavy airstrikes across southern Lebanon, striking the towns of Qennarit, Kfour, Jarjou’, al-Kharayeb, and Ansar in what were described as the most violent attacks since the November ceasefire.

On that same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally accepted a seat on Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” a body presented as a mechanism for stabilizing and reconstructing Gaza and other conflict zones.

The timing stripped the initiative of any remaining pretense. As destruction continued on the ground, the individual most responsible for Gaza’s devastation was elevated into a position meant to oversee “peace.”

A ‘Peacemaker’ Defined by Mass Killing

Netanyahu’s record is not one of peacebuilding, but of sustained regional violence. Since October 2023, Israeli actions in Gaza alone have killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, including at least 17,000 children and 12,000 women.

Even after the so-called ceasefire that began on October 11, 2025, Israeli forces have killed 483 additional Palestinians—an average of 4.5 deaths per day during what Washington labels “peace.” More than half of those killed during this period were women, children, or elderly people.

Beyond Gaza, Israeli aggression under Netanyahu’s leadership has spanned the region. In Lebanon, 4,291 people have been killed since October 2023, including 330 after the November 27, 2024 ceasefire. In Syria, more than 600 Israeli strikes over the past year have killed at least 540 people.

In June 2025, Netanyahu launched an unprovoked 12-day war on Iran, killing 935 Iranians, many of them civilians. In Yemen, Israeli attacks killed over 260 people and caused extensive damage to ports and energy infrastructure. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,102 Palestinians since October 2023.

On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under international law, all 125 ICC member states are obligated to arrest him if he enters their territory.

This is the figure now presented as a “peace” authority.

From Posturing to Submission: Washington Dictates, Netanyahu Complies

Netanyahu initially engaged in political posturing against Trump’s post-war Gaza governance framework. On January 16, his office criticized the proposed Gaza Executive Board as uncoordinated and contrary to Israeli policy, objecting to the inclusion of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatar’s Ali al-Thawadi, and declaring that “Turkish or Qatari soldiers will not be in the Strip.”

Washington quickly asserted control. A senior US official told Axios on January 17: “This is our show, not his show. If he wants us to deal with Gaza, it will have to be our way,” instructing Netanyahu to focus on Iran while the US “addresses Gaza.”

Within five days, Netanyahu reversed course and agreed to join Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” confirming US dominance over the process and exposing Netanyahu’s role as a compliant executor of Washington’s agenda.

Replacing International Law with US-Israeli Control

Trump has openly suggested that the Board of Peace could replace existing international mechanisms. When asked on January 20 whether the Board should supplant the United Nations, Trump replied, “It might.” He dismissed the UN as ineffective, despite claiming admiration for its “potential.”

The Board’s charter reinforces this ambition. It declares the body’s mandate is to “secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” not limited to Gaza. According to NPR, the word “Gaza” does not appear even once in the charter.

The New York Times reported that the document calls for a more “agile and effective” international peace-building organization—one that bypasses established institutions and accountability frameworks.

For Netanyahu, this aligns with a long-standing campaign against the UN and international law. In September 2024, he described the UN General Assembly as an “antisemitic swamp” and a “house of darkness.”

After the International Court of Justice ruled in January 2024 that it was plausible Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, Netanyahu declared, “Nobody will stop us, not The Hague.” When the UN Human Rights Council later accused Israel of genocidal acts and sexual violence, he dismissed it as “antisemitic” and “irrelevant.”

Peace as a Cover for Domination

Netanyahu’s entry into Trump’s Board of Peace does not mark a turn toward accountability or reconstruction. It confirms the nature of the project itself: a framework designed to legitimize aggression, erase international law, and normalize mass violence under the language of “stability.”

As bombs fall on Gaza and Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv are not building peace. They are constructing a new mechanism to manage destruction—one where the architects of devastation are rewarded with authority, and the victims are excluded entirely. (PW)