India may skip Feb 19 Gaza Peace Board meet

India is yet to join the Gaza Peace Board initiated by US President Donald Trump and is unlikely to participate in its inaugural meeting scheduled for February 19.

The Indian government is still examining the proposal, ET has reliably learnt. The issue had figured during the recently concluded India-Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting here.

India heard views from the Arab League countries who have joined the board but is yet to decide on its own course of action. The issue will be on the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Israel later this month.


India has consistently advocated a two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict and has to consider how it engages with Palestine if it decides to join the board.

India's biggest challenge will be the presence of Pakistan and Turkey on the board. Pakistan was earlier encouraged by the Trump administration to send stabilisation forces to Gaza.

The meeting, proposed for February 19, would include both world leaders who accepted Trump's invitation in January to join the board as well as members of an executive committee for Gaza that will oversee the specifics of the territory's governance, security and redevelopment.

The meeting will be held at the US Institute of Peace, now known as the Donald J Trump US Institute of Peace.