Gaza (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Many residents of the Gaza Strip, devastated after two years of war with Israel, fear that their suffering will not have any echo in the inaugural meeting of the “Peace Council” headed by US President Donald Trump.

Published on: 02/19/2026 - 17:17

With large areas of the Gaza Strip turning into rubble after two years of war, its residents are paying first attention to reconstruction, but they are concerned that decisions regarding their future will be taken without their participation, at the meeting held in Washington on Thursday.

The "Peace Council" was established within the framework of the American proposal on which the mediation of Washington, Cairo and Doha was based, and resulted in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas last October.

The Council was initially intended to supervise the ceasefire and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but its goal expanded to include the settlement of various international disputes, which raised fears that it would become a parallel entity to the United Nations.

About twenty presidents and high-ranking officials came to Washington to participate in the meeting, which should address the second phase of the ceasefire.

“The lack of representation worries us”

But many Gazans express concerns or questions.

Muhammad Abdel Majeed, 37 years old, a displaced person in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, says, “If this council will bring real calm and improvement to our conditions, we welcome any effort, but the absence of Palestinian representation worries us.”

He added to AFP, "How can they understand our needs when they do not live what we live on a daily basis? Therefore, we fear that the decisions will be far from the suffering of the people on the ground."

Although the council itself does not include Palestinian members, a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee will supervise the daily management of the sector, working under the supervision of the “Peace Council.”

Committee Chairman Ali Shaath participated and delivered a speech before the Council on Thursday. But the ambiguity regarding the planned arrangements for the sector worries its residents.

In Gaza City, Safaa (40 years old) expresses her fear that promises will not be fulfilled.

She says, "We witnessed many promises, and every time there was talk of solutions, but without implementation and without our lives changing for the better."

She added, "The problem is not holding meetings and councils, but rather ensuring that their results are fair and respect our rights and demands."

Safaa believes that “the exclusion of Palestinians from these meetings” raises questions about “the extent of the fairness of any outcomes that may be issued by this council and the extent of their application on the ground.”

"All we want is safety"

Trump, a real estate investor before becoming president of the United States, had previously floated the idea of ​​turning Gaza into a coastal tourist resort after stability was restored.

However, many doubt this ambition in light of the scale of destruction and continuing insecurity.

During the meeting, Trump is expected to reveal pledges exceeding five billion dollars to Gaza, where most of the buildings have become rubble, while hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced and living in tents.

The issue of the future of the Hamas movement is one of the most sensitive issues before the Council. Its disarmament constitutes a basic Israeli demand and a focal point in the negotiations on the next phase of the ceasefire.

It is still unclear whether the Palestinian technocratic committee charged with managing the affairs of the Gaza Strip will address the issue of disarmament or how to address it.

Israel was represented at Thursday's meeting by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

But for some Gazans like Ihab Abdel-Hay, the contrast between Israel's participation in Thursday's meeting and the absence of Palestinian representation is striking.

The displaced Palestinian who lives in the Al-Mawasi area in the south expresses his surprise at the presence of Israeli representation in the Peace Council and the “ignoring” of Palestinian representation.

The 45-year-old added, "The path that Trump is taking is clear and well-known. They want to try to defeat Hamas militarily in order to (impose) a new reality against all the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and for Israel to rule the Palestinians directly."

For his part, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP that the Council must oblige Israel to “stop its violations in Gaza” and lift its long siege of the Strip.

Most Gazans, far from decision-making circles in Washington, remain partly dependent on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs.

Abdel Majeed said in Deir al-Balah, "We in Gaza are tired of this life, and all we want is safety and reconstruction."

© 2026 AFP

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