New Delhi: India was among a slew of countries invited to join US President Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” initiative on Gaza, which appears designed to sideline the United Nations and establish what critics describe as a parallel international body with ambitions extending far beyond the Palestinian enclave.It is understood that New Delhi has not yet decided on whether to accept the invitation, with significant uncertainty remaining about how participation would work.US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced the invitation on the evening of January 18, posting the letter on X.Honored to convey @POTUS invitation to Prime Minister @narendramodi to participate in the Board of Peace which will bring lasting peace to Gaza. The Board will support effective governance to achieve stability and prosperity! pic.twitter.com/HikLnXFFMp— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) January 18, 2026The letter, dated January 16, invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join Trump “in a critically Historic and Magnificent effort to solidify Peace in the Middle East and, at the same time, to embark on a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict.” The letter describes the Board of Peace as “the most impressive and consequential Board ever assembled, which will be established as a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration.” This language, along with the charter, has raised alarm bells about Trump’s intentions to create an alternative to existing multilateral institutions.No ‘Gaza’According to the charter obtained by The Times of Israel, the preamble declares that “durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common-sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed,” and emphasises “the need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body.”The charter makes no reference to Gaza, adding weight to reports that Trump sees the board as a mechanism for resolving conflicts worldwide rather than one limited to the Palestinian enclave.India has made no official announcement about the offer, and the government has maintained silence on the matter even as other countries have begun to weigh in publicly on the US proposal.Earlier on January 18, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that Islamabad had also received an invitation. “The prime minister of Pakistan has received the invitation from the president of the United States to join the Board of Peace on Gaza,” Andrabi announced.‘$1 billion’Washington is seeking $1 billion from countries wanting permanent membership on the body. The draft charter reveals that Trump would chair the board and hold authority over membership decisions and approvals.“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman. The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force,” the draft states.The US has invited leaders from approximately 60 countries to join, including Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, Britain, Germany, Canada, Australia, EU countries and Gulf states.On January 16, Trump announced the executive board that will operationalise the Board of Peace’s directions. The seven-member body, dominated by Americans, has US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, top aide Robert Gabriel, son-in-law Jared Kushner, World Bank President Ajay Banga, billionaire Trump ally Marc Rowan, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.A separate Gaza executive board, in a supporting role, includes a wider roster of foreign officials. It comprises some members from the main executive board along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egyptian General Hassan Rashad, Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy, Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay, and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag.Major General Jasper Jeffers, who commands US Special Operations Command Central in the Middle East, will lead the International Stabilization Force that will be deployed to Gaza to disarm Hamas and occupy the enclave during reconstruction.Trump’s peace plan was approved by the UN Security Council, though Russia and China abstained, citing lack of clarity on how the Board of Peace would function and whether it would lead to Palestinian statehood. The UN resolution authorised the Board of Peace to oversee Gaza at least until the end of 2027.The White House also announced that a Palestinian technocratic committee led by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath would govern Gaza during the transition, with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov serving as High Representative for Gaza.A ‘Trump United Nations’ Daniel Forti, who heads UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, told the AP, “This is a US shortcut in an attempt to wield its veto power on world affairs… It allows the US to really take the role it has on the Gaza-Israel file, where it’s able to shape things to its will and try to extend that to other conflicts.”European officials privately expressed concerns about the impact on UN work. “It’s a ‘Trump United Nations’ that ignores the fundamentals of the UN charter,” one diplomat told Reuters. Several European governments are reportedly coordinating resistance to aspects of the plan, particularly Trump’s apparent control over the board’s finances. The draft charter shows that Trump would control the money raised, which several European officials considered unacceptable.Argentina President Javier Milei announced he had accepted Trump’s invitation, posting that “It is an honor for me to have received tonight the invitation for Argentina to join, as a Founding Member, the Board of Peace.” He added that “Argentina will always stand with the countries that confront terrorism head-on, that defend life and property, and that promote peace and freedom.”Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close Trump ally, gave an unequivocal acceptance. “We have, of course, accepted this honourable invitation.”Turkey confirmed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been invited. Turkish presidency spokesperson Burhanettin Duran said Trump “sent a letter inviting our President, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to participate as a founding member in the Board of Peace,” but made no indication of whether Turkey would accept.Egypt’s foreign ministry said it was examining the invitation for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to join the board. Jordan said King Abdullah was also considering the invitation.Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni indicated her country was “ready to do our part,” while Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had agreed in principle although details were still being worked out.The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter.— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 17, 2026Israel unhappyIsrael sharply objected to the composition of the Gaza executive board in a rare public break with the Trump administration. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on January 17 that the announcement “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.” Netanyahu instructed Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to raise Israeli opposition with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.The inclusion of Turkish and Qatari officials on the executive board particularly angered Israeli officials. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X that “The Gaza Strip does not need any ‘administrative committee’ to oversee its ‘rehabilitation’ – it needs to be cleansed of Hamas terrorists.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the announcement a “diplomatic failure for Israel.”IndiaIndia’s potential participation comes in the backdrop Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s enthusiastic backing of Trump’s Gaza initiatives. In October 2025, Modi endorsed Trump’s Gaza peace plan four times within 24 hours, starting with a social media post and ending with a phone call to the US president. Modi had issued statements in eight languages including English, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Chinese and French – a departure from normal practice that analysts interpreted as diplomatic outreach to Trump amid trade frictions and rebuild personal ties.Observers believe a major strand of New Delhi’s diplomacy since the US imposed high tariffs on India has been to recalibrate Modi’s personal rapport with Trump. The US president was reportedly displeased that New Delhi did not publicly acknowledge his claimed role in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after their military clashes in May 2025.India has historically supported Palestinian statehood but, over the past 15 years, has drawn publicly closer to Israel. During the Gaza war, New Delhi has voiced concern over civilian deaths while avoiding direct criticism of Israeli military actions. India’s UN voting record shows a pattern of abstentions and selective support on Gaza-related resolutions.The board’s unclear mandate, governance structure, and relationship to existing international bodies have made India’s choice more difficult. New Delhi will have to consider trade-offs of participation, especially with Pakistan involved and potential impact on India’s Global South positioning.India will also have to assess the consequences of endorsing an arrangement that could weaken the United Nations by allowing a Trump-dominated body to supervise conflicts, an issue of particular sensitivity given India’s own unresolved disputes with several countries.The invitation arrives during a sensitive period for US-India ties, as Modi government pursues an India-US trade deal with Trump administration aimed at easing the fifty percent tariffs imposed on Indian exports.Note: This report has been updated since publication to reflect that Robert Gabriel is a Trump aide, not a special envoy.