Government mulls Trump Gaza board invitation, as leaders of Israel, UAE join

As the government mulls over U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the U.S.-led Gaza “Board of Peace”, experts cautioned that India must consider the board’s “legitimacy” and mandate carefully.

Meanwhile, sources in New Delhi said Indian and Israeli diplomats were discussing possible visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to India soon.  

The visits are being discussed as a part of a deeper engagement with the region and the Israel-Palestine conflict in the next few weeks. On January 30, New Delhi will host the Foreign Ministers of the 22-member League of Arab States, and the government is expected to consult many of its close partners in the region about the way forward on the Gaza Peace Proposal promoted by the United States.

Both Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed (MbZ), who visited New Delhi this week to announce a major strategic defence partnership plan and Mr. Netanyahu, who Mr. Modi has spoken to regularly, announced their decision to accept Mr. Trump’s invitation to join the Gaza board on Wednesday (January 21, 2026).

According to sources, Mr. Modi is also planning a visit to West Asia next month and has invitations to several countries in the region. A senior official confirmed that he is considering visiting Israel. Mr. Modi last visited Israel in 2017 and Palestine in 2018. According to the sources, Mr. Netanyahu has a long-pending visit planned to India, which was scheduled, but put off due to different reasons on at least three occasions last year. 

Two-state solution

The engagements are particularly significant after Mr. Trump sent a letter inviting leaders of about 60 countries, including India, Russia, China, Turkiye, Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, and several West Asian and European countries. The Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on whether Mr. Modi would join the Board of Peace, and an official said the matter was “under discussion”. According to experts, the decision must be considered carefully, taking into account India’s support for the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, as well as its commitment to helping the Palestinian people.

“If there is peace in Gaza, that is good for the people there, and India should take a lead in humanitarian assistance, especially given its medical expertise”, said former Ambassador Anil Trigunayat, pointing out that the U.S.’s peace plan includes finding a pathway to the two-state solution, despite Israel’s opposition to it. However, he pointed out that India would find the “corporate governance model” proposed for the Gaza Peace board, including a one billion dollar fee for permanent membership “troubling”.

Others pointed to Pakistan’s invitation to the board as well as an international stabilisation force (ISF) as concerning, as well as Mr. Trump’s suggestion that the “peace model” could be an alternative to the United Nations.

“Any engagement has to be assessed against clear principles: respect for international law, a defined and limited mandate, and consistency with existing multilateral frameworks, particularly the United Nations. India will presumably take a considered view, keeping in mind regional sensitivities, its long-standing positions, and the need to avoid open-ended or precedent-setting arrangements,” said former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao, adding that the government would probably expect greater clarity on the mandate and mission of the board before responding to the U.S.

Among leaders who have already agreed to join the board are leaders of Argentina, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Canada, Israel and the UAE. Ukraine and the United Kingdom have expressed their opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin being invited. 

The U.S. has also nominated Mr. Trump as chair, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mr. Trump’s special negotiator Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, billionaire U.S. financier Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Robert Gabriel from the U.S. National Security Council.