US President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the start of the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace today (Thursday). Trump noted that representatives of 48 nations attended the meeting.
"We have a large group of leaders, the ones that aren't here are watching on Zoom," he said. "What we're doing is very simple: Peace. It's called the Board of Peace, and it's all about an easy word to say, but a hard word to produce. We're gonna produce it."
He called the Board of Peace "one of the most important and consequential things that I'll be involved in." He added that "there's never been anything close" to the Board of Peace "in terms of power and in terms of prestige" because of the world leaders who agreed to join the board or to support it. "This is the most prestigious board ever put together."
Trump addressed the situation in Gaza, which he called "very complex." He thanked US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for what he called their "amazing job" in securing and maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.
He stated that the Board will work together "to ensure a brighter future for the people of Gaza, the Middle East, and the entire world."
"There's nothing more important than peace," he emphasized, "and there's nothing less expensive than peace. When you go to wars, it costs you a hundred times what it costs to make peace."
Later in his address. Trump announced that he would promote Jared Kushner to the position of Special Envoy.
He also addressed the negotiations with Iran, saying that the American airstrikes in Iran in June 2025 led to "peace in the Middle East."
"Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we're going to make a deal. You're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days," he said. He added that Iran "must make a deal" or "bad things will happen."
"This meeting today is proof: with determined leadership, nothing is impossible," Trump said. "When I took office, the war in Gaza was raging, with thousands of people being killed and no end in sight. Today, thanks to unrelenting diplomacy and the commitment of many of the great people in this room ... the war in Gaza is over. It's over. There are little flames."
He further stated that he believes Hamas is "going to give up their weapons. That's what they promised. If they don't, they'll be harshly met, very harshly met. They don't want that."
Trump noted that "every last hostage, both living and dead, has been returned back home," including "the last one."
"I want to let you know that the United States is going to make a contribution of $10 billion to the Board of Peace," he announced. "When you look at that compared to the cost of war, that's two weeks of fighting, it's a very small number. Sounds like a lot, but it's a very small number. So we're committed to $10 billion together, we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war."
"With the committments announces today, the Board of Peace is proving that it does not just convene countries, it devises and implements and real solutions happen. We've come up with solutions. This is very little talk- all action," he said.