Indonesia Signals Exit from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ as UN Warns of Gaza, West Bank Crisis
Indonesia threatens withdrawal from Trump’s Board of Peace as UN officials warn Gaza and the West Bank face a deepening crisis.
By Palestine Chronicle Staff Key Developments
- Indonesia says it may leave Trump’s “Board of Peace” if Palestinian independence is not advanced.
- Palestinian UN envoy stresses Gaza belongs to Palestinians and demands full Israeli withdrawal.
- UN chief warns Israel’s E1 settlement plan would sever the West Bank and destroy two-state prospects.
- UN officials report continued Israeli killings in Gaza despite ceasefire agreements.
- International concern grows over settlement expansion, displacement, and restrictions on humanitarian access.
Indonesia has signaled it may withdraw from US President Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” if the initiative fails to advance Palestinian independence, as international warnings intensify over Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
According to Indonesia’s state-run news agency Antara, President Prabowo Subianto made clear that Jakarta’s participation in the board is conditional. Indonesian Ulema Council Vice Chairman Cholil Nafis, quoting the president, said Indonesia is prepared to abstain—or withdraw entirely—if the board’s policies diverge from its core objectives.
“If no changes can be made, he is prepared to withdraw from the Board of Peace,” Nafis said, emphasizing that Indonesia’s priorities remain an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, broader peace in Palestine, and ultimately full Palestinian independence and sovereignty.
Foreign Minister Sugiono echoed that position, stating that withdrawal remains an open option should the board’s direction fail to align with Indonesia’s goals.
Trump announced the creation of the Board of Peace in January as part of his Gaza plan, later authorized by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Critics argue the body risks sidelining Palestinian political rights while consolidating external control over Gaza’s future.
‘Gaza Belongs to Its People’
At the United Nations, Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour firmly rejected narratives treating Gaza as negotiable territory, stressing that it is an inseparable part of occupied Palestine.
“Gaza is not a piece of land hanging in the air for anyone to grab,” Mansour said during the opening of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. “It belongs to its people.”
While welcoming the ceasefire reached in late October, Mansour warned that it must not remain fragile, pointing to ongoing Israeli killings in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territory.
He called for unrestricted humanitarian access, the protection of UN agencies, including UNRWA, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as a prerequisite for any credible stabilization effort.
Mansour reaffirmed that Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem constitute a single territorial unit that must be governed by a unified Palestinian authority.
West Bank Fragmentation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning over Israel’s settlement expansion plans in the E1 corridor, describing them as “unlawful” and profoundly destabilizing.
Speaking at the same UN session, Guterres said the E1 plan—combined with demolitions, displacement, and settler violence—would sever the northern and southern West Bank, dealing a severe blow to the two-state solution.
He noted that more than 37,000 Palestinians were displaced in the West Bank in 2025 alone, alongside record levels of settler violence. Israeli actions, he said, are illegal under international law, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice.
Guterres also condemned Israeli measures targeting UNRWA, including threats and demolitions of UN facilities in East Jerusalem, calling such actions “utterly abhorrent.”
Ceasefire Violations Continue
Despite the Gaza ceasefire, Guterres said more than 500 Palestinians have been killed since the agreement took effect, underscoring the continued fragility of the truce.
He urged all parties to fully implement the agreement, allow humanitarian relief at scale—including through the Rafah crossing—and comply with international law.
“Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a Palestinian state,” Guterres said, stressing that the occupation must end and Palestinian rights must be realized.
(Anadolu, UN News, PC, Antara, Palestinian Mission to the UN)