Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu announced in Washington that Israel will take part in President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace,” signing on to the initiative during meetings with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Following his discussion with Rubio, Netanyahu wrote on X that he “signed Israel’s accession as a member of the “Board of Peace.””

Netanyahu traveled to the U.S. capital primarily for talks with Trump focused on Iran, but the visit also included discussions about the new international body.

The Board of Peace was established under a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in mid-November. The resolution authorized the board, along with participating countries, to organize an international stabilization force in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire there began in October under a Trump-backed proposal approved by both Israel and the Hamas militant group.

According to the original framework of Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was intended to oversee the enclave’s temporary administration. Trump later indicated that, with him serving as chair, the body would broaden its mandate to address conflicts beyond Gaza on a global scale.

The board’s inaugural session is set for Feb. 19 in Washington, where members are expected to focus on plans for rebuilding Gaza.

International reaction to Trump’s invitation to join the initiative, first introduced in late January, has been measured. A number of analysts have expressed concern that the new body could weaken or sideline the United Nations.

Although several U.S. partners in the Middle East have opted to participate, many of America’s longstanding Western allies have declined to join.

The ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly tested by renewed violence. Gaza health officials report that at least 580 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began in October, while four Israeli soldiers have also reportedly died during the same period.

According to the Gaza health ministry, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in more than 72,000 Palestinian deaths and triggered widespread hunger while displacing the territory’s entire population.

Various human rights specialists, academics and a U.N. investigative body have described the campaign as amounting to genocide. Israel rejects that characterization, saying it is acting in self-defense after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages in an attack in late 2023.