Trump’s invite to join Gaza peace board: India weighs its options

Delhi has to consider the invitation seriously since a mercurial US President as Trump can deem a refusal as an affront.

First, India is facing up to 50% tariffs from the US and has not acknowledged Trump’s role in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. So, it will have to think through any more consequences, especially since the US President has framed it as a “bold new approach in resolving global conflict”.

Second, the role of the peace board and whether it challenges the international framework in the form of the UN is something that Delhi will be considering. It will be mindful of the primacy of the UN, and would not want to support a parallel process and arrangement.

Since the current charter of the board appears to go beyond Gaza, Delhi will be cautious. Especially since the India-Pakistan conflict and Trump’s claims of brokering the ceasefire is still casting a shadow over India-US ties and on the rapport between PM Modi and President Trump.

Third, Delhi will also look at how seriously are other countries going to take this invite and the proposed board. Major countries, like Russia, UK and Germany are yet to commit to joining the initiative, while France has indicated that it may not join.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin received the invitation and is now “studying the details” and would seek clarity of “all the nuances” in contacts with the US.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is talking to allies about the Board of Peace. Although the UK hasn’t said whether Starmer has been formally invited to join, he said it’s necessary to proceed with the Gaza peace plan’s second phase and that his country has “indicated willingness to play our part, and we will”.

French Presidency sources said like many countries, France was invited to join the board and is examining, together with its partners, the proposed legal framework. “At this stage, it does not intend to respond favourably. The Charter goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza. It raises major issues, in particular regarding respect for the principles and the structure of the United Nations, which cannot under any circumstances be called into question,” sources said.

Sources said France remains fully committed to a ceasefire in Gaza and to a credible political horizon for Palestinians and Israelis. It will continue to uphold effective multilateralism, sources said.

Germany has said it will primarily examine what contribution Berlin can make towards the goal of a lasting resolution to the Gaza conflict.

About the UN, the German spokesperson said, “This is the central multilateral framework for us,” and that it is an important instrument in these times of unprecedented global crises.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, received an invitation and would be speaking to other EU leaders about the plan. Gill didn’t say whether the invitation had been accepted, but that the commission wants “to contribute to a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict”.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the formation of the committee wasn’t coordinated with the Israeli government and “is contrary to its policy”, without clarifying what its objections were. Israel hasn’t been invited to join the committee, unlike Turkey, a key regional rival.

So far, Delhi has seen the responses of these countries, and views that any decision has to be taken after coordinating with its close partners.

Fourth, there is a view within Delhi that with Pakistan’s inclusion, it makes it difficult for India to stay out of the board.

Fifth, the reliability of Trump is a factor that all countries and governments are going to consider. There is a real concern that the US President — if he doesn’t get his way in the scheme of things — may choose to walk out of the board and that would mean that India would be stuck on the board, along with its regional partners.

Also, after Trump’s term gets over, what happens to the board is another question to be considered.

Sources said India will not take any decisions in a rushed manner. It will be responding after weighing these pros and cons in the coming days and weeks.