Hamas Signals Willingness to Disarm as Trump Invites Erdoğan to Founding Role in Gaza Peace Council

Summary:

As Hamas signals conditional willingness to disarm under a post-war framework, the United States has unveiled a new international governance structure for Gaza’s transition and reconstruction. President Donald Trump has formally invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to serve as a founding member of the newly established Gaza Peace Council, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has been appointed to represent Türkiye on the Gaza Governance Board overseeing day-to-day stabilization efforts.

Trump Launches Gaza Peace Council, Invites Erdoğan as Founding Member

The United States has taken a major diplomatic step toward reshaping post-war governance in Gaza, announcing the formation of a Gaza Peace Council designed to oversee security arrangements, reconstruction, and political transition following the Israel–Hamas conflict.

According to Turkish Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a formal letter on January 16, 2026, inviting Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to join the council as a founding member.

Duran said Trump signed the letter in his capacity as the founding chair of the Gaza Peace Council, positioning Erdoğan among a select group of international leaders tasked with shaping Gaza’s post-conflict future.

The announcement followed a statement by the White House a day earlier confirming the creation of both the Gaza Peace Council and a related Gaza Governance Board, which will manage security coordination and reconstruction during the transitional period.

UN Security Council Endorses U.S. Plan on Gaza

Duran said the initiative is grounded in international legitimacy following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which endorses Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.”

Under the resolution, the Gaza Peace Council and its affiliated bodies will be responsible for:

• Ensuring security and demilitarization

• Coordinating humanitarian access

• Supervising reconstruction and infrastructure repair

• Overseeing transitional governance arrangements

“The United Nations Security Council has decided to support the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict announced by U.S. President Donald Trump,” Duran said in a post on X. “Within this framework, institutions responsible for Gaza’s security and reconstruction are being established.”

Hakan Fidan to Represent Türkiye on Gaza Governance Board

While Erdoğan is invited to participate at the strategic and political level as a founding council member, Türkiye will be represented on the operational governance board by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to the White House.

The Gaza Governance Board is tasked with overseeing day-to-day stabilization, coordination with regional actors, and implementation of reconstruction projects during the transitional period.

White House officials described the board as a technocratic and geopolitical body, emphasizing that each member would play a “critical role in Gaza’s stability and long-term success.”

High-Profile International Lineup, Including Kushner and Blair

The White House released a preliminary list of Gaza Peace Council and Governance Board members, describing the body as one of the most high-profile international initiatives ever assembled for a post-conflict territory.

Members confirmed so far include:

• Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State

• Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy

• Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law

• Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister

• Ali Al-Thawadi, senior Qatari official

• General Hassan Rashad, Egypt’s intelligence chief

• Marc Rowan, U.S. billionaire investor

• Reem Al-Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation

• Nickolay Mladenov, former UN Middle East Special Coordinator

• Yakir Gabay, Israeli real estate magnate

• Sigrid Kaag, United Nations representative

The White House said additional members would be announced in the coming weeks.

Trump described the council as “the most prestigious, comprehensive, and globally representative body ever assembled for conflict resolution.”

Hamas Signals Conditional Willingness to Disarm

The diplomatic initiative comes amid reported signals from Hamas indicating openness to conditional disarmament under a comprehensive political settlement.

While no formal agreement has been announced, multiple regional diplomatic sources say Hamas has communicated that it would consider relinquishing weapons if Gaza transitions to a new governance framework under international guarantees and Palestinian technocratic administration.

This represents a potentially significant shift, as Hamas has historically rejected any discussion of disarmament absent full Israeli withdrawal and Palestinian statehood.

U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed the disarmament proposal but emphasized that demilitarization is a core objective of the Gaza Peace Council’s mandate.

Parallel Palestinian Technocratic Committee Announced

Separately, the White House confirmed the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic body, known as the National Committee for Gaza Administration (NCAG), which will assume responsibility for Gaza’s civil administration during the transition period.

The committee will be chaired by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank outside Israeli control.

The NCAG will focus on:

• Public services and civil administration

• Coordination with humanitarian agencies

• Economic stabilization and employment

• Preparing for longer-term political arrangements

U.S. officials said the committee would operate independently of Hamas and in coordination with international partners.

Strategic Role for Türkiye

Türkiye’s dual involvement — Erdoğan at the political level and Fidan at the operational level — underscores Ankara’s growing role in Middle East diplomacy, particularly in Gaza-related negotiations.

Ankara has maintained channels of communication with both Palestinian factions and regional actors, positioning itself as a bridge between Western powers and the Muslim world.

Turkish officials have repeatedly emphasized that any lasting solution must combine security guarantees with political inclusion and economic reconstruction.

Uncertainty Ahead Despite Diplomatic Momentum

Despite the scale and ambition of the Gaza Peace Council, major uncertainties remain.

Key unresolved issues include:

• The precise timeline for Hamas disarmament

• Israel’s security guarantees and military posture

• The durability of international consensus

• The role of the Palestinian Authority in longer-term governance

Analysts caution that while the initiative represents the most coordinated international effort to date, implementation risks remain high given Gaza’s deep humanitarian crisis and regional volatility.

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