Macron declines Board of Peace invitation as signing ceremony set for Davos

Numerous other leaders, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have reportedly been invited, though they may baulk at the inclusion of figures like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Erdoğan. President Macron of France has already declined the offer.

And senior officials in several countries are reportedly concerned that the board is, in effect, a US-led effort to sideline the UN.

According to the Times of Israel, while it was initially outlined as a mechanism specific to post-war Gaza, a draft of the board's founding charter reportedly makes no reference to the Strip, but does say it will have "the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed'.

This has prompted some alarm, especially in Europe, that the body could seek to take on a larger role in global affairs, acting as a sort of independent UN alternative, led by Washington.

Per AFP, Macron was surprised that the board's mandate "goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza" and refused to participate.

Responding to the reports yesterday, Trump said: "I’ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join."

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, meanwhile, has confirmed his receipt of an invitation, but will not travel to Switzerland (though President Herzog will be there).

It comes the White House confirmed the board would manage two new committees, the "Founding Executive Board" (FEB) and the "Gaza Executive Board". (GEB)

The former will focus on "investment and diplomacy", while the latter will oversee the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), created to manage the day-to-day governance of the Strip.

But the makeup of the GEB has already drawn sharp criticism from Israel after it was announced that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Ali Thawadi, a former Qatari diplomat, would be members.

Jerusalem has previously insisted that Turkey should have no involvement with post-war Gaza, especially given President Erdoğan’s open calls for Israel’s destruction, while Qatar is a key political and financial backer of Hamas.

Fidan and Thawadi will be joined by Egypt's intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, and Reem Al-Hashimy, the UAE's minister for international cooperation.

No Palestinians have yet been named on the committees, while the only Israeli is Yakir Gabay, a prominent businessman now based in Cyprus.

Speaking in the Knesset, Netanyahu acknowledged that the US and Israel had “a certain argument” about the oversight committees, but guaranteed no Qatari or Turkish troops would be stationed in Gaza as part of the planned International Stabilisation Force.

He also later took to social media to congratulate Trump on “an incredible first year of a second term”, calling it a “year like no other”. The post was accompanied by a photo of the two leaders embracing at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida during a recent summit meeting.