New Delhi: India on Thursday (February 19) attended the inaugural meeting of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza as an observer, a body that has drawn criticism for being seen as undermining the United Nations, even as the US President used the platform to repeat his claim that he had stopped last year’s India-Pakistan conflict by threatening steep tariffs and trade consequences.The meeting, held in Washington, saw participation from nearly 50 countries and the European Union, with several nations attending as observers. India was represented by the Chargé d’affaires at its embassy in Washington DC, Namgya Khampa.Less than a week ago, the Ministry of External Affairs had described the US proposal as “under review”, indicating that a final decision on the invitation had not been taken. India did not attend the January 22 ceremony in Davos where Trump formally unveiled the Board of Peace.There has been no reaction from the Indian side on attending the inaugural board meeting in DC. New Delhi has not yet indicated whether it will move beyond observer status.Speaking at the session, Trump said 11 “very expensive jets” were shot down during the May 2025 exchanges between India and Pakistan and claimed he warned both countries that the United States would impose 200 per cent tariffs and halt trade deals if the fighting continued.He said he personally called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime minister Sharif and told them he would not proceed with trade arrangements unless hostilities stopped. “When it came to money, it’s nothing like money,” Trump said, adding that the confrontation ended soon after.Sharif, present as a founding member of the Board, praised Trump’s intervention, calling him a “man of peace” and crediting him with averting large scale loss of life in South Asia.India has consistently rejected claims of third-party mediation, maintaining that the ceasefire was reached bilaterally through direct contacts between the Director Generals of Military Operations of the two countries. The May 2025 clashes with drones and missiles followed India’s launch of Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir in response to the April attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.Describing Trump’s remarks as “most disquieting”, former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal stated that Trump was expanding the scope of the Board of Peace. “Our relations with the US are no doubt very important but we should carefully measure the risks involved in overlooking the threats to our interests from Trump’s fixations,” he said.Trump used the gathering to project the Board of Peace as a central pillar of his foreign policy. He announced that nine countries had pledged a combined $7 billion towards Gaza’s reconstruction and that five countries had committed troops to an international stabilisation force for the Palestinian territory.Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania agreed to deploy troops, while Egypt and Jordan committed to train Palestinian police personnel. The initial focus of deployment is expected to be Rafah in southern Gaza, a largely destroyed city under Israeli control. Maj Gen Jasper Jeffers, who will lead the newly created international stabilisation force, said plans envisage 12,000 police personnel and 20,000 soldiers for Gaza.Trump also reiterated that the United States would commit $10 billion to the board, though he did not specify how the funds would be sourced or allocated. The pledges so far amount to a fraction of the estimated $70 billion required to rebuild Gaza after two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas.Countries that pledged financial support include Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait. Trump criticised allies that have not yet formally joined, saying some were “playing cute”, and suggested more countries were in the process of securing legislative approvals.The Board of Peace was initially proposed as part of Trump’s 20 point plan to end the Gaza conflict and oversee post war stabilisation. Since the October ceasefire, its scope has broadened, with Trump indicating it could address other global conflicts. He said the board would help ensure that the United Nations functions more effectively and would “look over” it to make sure it runs properly.The draft charter describes the body as a new international organisation and transitional governing administration. It does not explicitly mention Gaza in its preamble and vests significant authority in the chair, including decisions on membership and renewals. Member states would ordinarily serve three year terms.A central issue remains the disarmament of Hamas, a key Israeli demand and a core element of the ceasefire framework. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no reconstruction without demilitarisation. Trump said Hamas had promised to disarm and warned of severe consequences if it failed to do so, though he offered no operational details.(with input from AP)