Peace Board is aimed at legal immunity and protection for any member working in Gaza, including military forces

The four-page resolution, classified as the sensitive “but not classified”, extends broad protection for each member of the Peace Board and its administrative branch, the Office of the High Representative (OHR), as well as for Palestinian technocrats, international military forces and non-recilative contractors to work in Gaza. It stipulates that legal immunity would include protection from “any arrest, ban or judicial prosecution in courts or other bodies in Gaza”.

It is not clear whether the document aims to exclude the Peace Board and its associates even from prosecution in international courts, in addition to possible claims in Gaza.

Peace Board Chairman Donald Trump would have the right to lift one person's legal immunity, provided it is backed by most board members, according to the June 2026 draft resolution.

The seven-member executive “Bord, which runs the Peace Board, includes Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kouchner; special envoy Steve Witkoff; president's chief of staff, Susie Wildes; and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio. Although some countries have promised billions of dollars, most have not yet transferred funds to support the board's work in Gaza and large contracts have not been awarded.

US President Donald Trump holds the founding card signed during the “Peace End meeting” at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January 2026.

What is the Peace Board of Trump, and who is involved?

The White House referred the questions to the Peace Board.

The board did not answer specific questions about the draft resolution, but an official stated:

There is no resolution in force or immune frame of type described in your questions... Any suggestion that this process aims to create a lack of legitimacy or impunity is wrong, deceptive, and completely distorting the issue. ”

The official added that “claims that the president will have a role in establishing or removing immunity in Gaza is fundamentally false”, and that “Bord will ensure that all personnel, contractors and participating subjects respect the law in force and act according to clear rules, supervision and accountability mechanisms”. However, he did not explain how these mechanisms would function.

Nickolay Mladenov, the Bulgarian diplomat who serves as High Representative of the Gaza Peace Board, has met this week in Cairo with Palestinian administrators selected by the board to govern Gaza. According to a person familiar with the agenda, discussions have focused on improving the working framework of the group in the territory. This person also said the draft immunity resolution, titled “REZOLUTA NR 2026/3” has not been distributed to Palestinian representatives.

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Six lawyers specialising in American contract rights and international right to armed conflicts reviewed the draft resolution for The Guardian.

According to them, if the resolution comes into effect, it remains unclear how Peace Board officials, soldiers and contractors would be held responsible in case of shootings or accidents affecting Gaza residents, or even how ordinary disputes over business or land use would be resolved.

US-led efforts to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan have often been accompanied by controversy over corruption and cases of death or abuse against civilians by American contractors, including Blackwater and KBR, who later faced trials in the US. Any effort to rebuild Gaza could face similar challenges.

This looks like an attempt to exclude the board and all its personnel from responsibility for possible legal violations,” said Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man, expert on issues of international humanitarian law.

Several lawyers, including Omer-Man, raised concerns about Article 7 of the project, entitled “Accountability to the Third Pals/Requires”, which envisions the Peace Board itself review and decide on demands related to loss or damage to property, as well as injuries, diseases or deaths stemming from its activity in Gaza.

“They are essentially saying there will be no outside oversight, including implementation of international law regarding the invasion,” said Noura Erakas, professor of international law at Rutgers University. “is creating a separate judicial system. ”

The contractors have also called for clarity regarding legal protection for possible work in Gaza, where the Trump-backed board has called for bids to remove ruins, security and a broad reconstruction programme. Jared Kouchner has spoken of transforming coastal territory into an area of luxury resorts, high-tech cities and regional business centres.

Laws regulating international contractors and military forces are usually defined in agreement between states on the status of forces, but there is no such document for Gaza. American contractors can submit to American law for several crimes even when operating abroad.

I think every company would want a very clear legal framework,” said Doug Brooks, president of the International Stability Operations Association. “There are issues of responsibility that any serious American company would like to have a clear one. ”

An American security contractor said Israeli officials do not want to negotiate an agreement on the status of forces in Gaza, because Israel does not want to recognise Gaza as a state.

“is very important for political, legal and security coverage,” he said. “also gives Gaza residents clarity and security on how they will be treated by contractors with whom they may have contact. ”

Free Environment for the Peace Board

The last part of the draft resolution, titled “Peace Board Environments, OHR and ISF”, envisions that the group “will be made available, free of charge, facilities and public objects needed for completing missions in Gaza”.

Legal experts said this formulation could pave the way for the illegal seizure of Palestinian property. It is not clear which subject Israel, Hamas, or Palestinian Authority would be responsible for making these facilities available to the Peace Board and under what conditions.

According to contractors involved in the process, the Board plans to build a base for an international military force and logistical centre for its operations. This force aims to help disarm Hamas, a key step in the Trump peace plan. Israel has refused to proceed with steps envisioned by the November 2025 ceasefire agreement if Hamas continues to carry weapons.

“Announcing unilaterally the right to obtain land, property and Palestinian buildings for its undesirable use, compensation or mode of complaint, the Peace Board is following the example of Israel's oppressive practices,” said Omar Shakir, executive director of the Dawn organisation. “Far from signaling the recent genocide, apartheid and occupation, this document suggests strengthening some of their worst characteristics. This endangers not only his fellow man but also his direct wrongdoing. ”

Some lawyers also raised questions about the Peace Board's legal authority to take control of public objects.

If they don't have an agreement on the status of forces with Israel, then it's not clear what the legal authority of the board would be,” Brad Parker from Center for Constitution Rights said.

The UN Security Council has authorised the Peace Board to oversee Gaza management by 31 December 2027. The UN Charter gives its diplomats and organisations certain legal protections for the work conducted in missions abroad. The language of the draft resolution appears to rely on these existing frameworks, which include protection against the arrest of UN diplomats during the official task and protection against the seizure of UN property. However, it remains unclear whether the Peace Board can rely on these immunity for its protection.

The project says the resolution will go into effect with the signing of Nickolay Mladenov. The Peace Board did not answer questions whether other parties would sign this resolution.

“How much value does this document have if they are the only ones to sign it?” said Shakir.