ADDS DETAIL
By Yasin Gungor and Michael Hernandez
ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump announced billions of dollars in contributions for relief in the Gaza Strip at the inaugural meeting Thursday of the Board of Peace in Washington, DC.
"The war in Gaza is over. It's over. There are little flames, little flames," Trump said, adding that 59 countries signed to help Gaza, thanks to "unrelenting diplomacy."
He said countries “worked together to ensure the brighter future” and have been very “generous” with money. “There's nothing more important than peace, and there's nothing less expensive than peace.”
Trump said the US is contributing $10 billion to the new body.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait collectively pledged more than $7 billion, he added.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is raising an additional $2 billion, he said.
Trump noted that Japan is committed to hosting a fundraiser, "which will be a very big one," adding that it would be attended by other nations in the region, including South Korea, the Philippines and Singapore. He also said he expects both China and Russia to be involved.
He also announced that FIFA would help raise $75 million for Gaza projects that may include sports fields, with top football stars visiting the territory.
"Together, we're committed to achieving a Gaza that is properly governed throughout the whole area," Trump said, adding that the Board of Peace would "lead the way" in making Gaza "an example of success and safety and unity."
On Hamas, Trump said he believed the group would honor its commitment to disarm.
"I think they're going to give up their weapons, which is what they promised," he said. "If they don't, they'll be harshly met, very harshly met."
-Aid flows
US Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz said humanitarian flows into Gaza have improved significantly, with 4,200 aid trucks entering the territory each week for 13 consecutive weeks, “the longest stretch of high-volume assistance to Gaza in years.”
"Aid is up," he said, adding that it is now reaching the full 2.1 million Gazans, up as much as five times from previous delivery levels.
Israel began its war in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, resulting in more than 72,000 Palestinian deaths and over 171,000 injuries, most of them women and children, and damage to 90% of civilian infrastructure.
Despite a ceasefire since Oct. 10, the Israeli army continued its attacks, killing at least 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.