President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he's created a Gaza "board of peace" to drive the next chapter of US-backed efforts to end the war in the Palestinian territory. And in characteristic Trump fashion, he didn't hold back on the superlatives.

A Board Like No Other

"It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that member names will come "shortly." Then came the trademark flourish: "I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place."

The board arrives just days after a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee was named to handle the nuts and bolts of governing post-war Gaza. That committee, which has backing from Washington and several regional mediators, will work under the board of peace's oversight. Trump is expected to chair the board himself.

According to a Washington Post report Thursday, the broader strategy also includes plans for an International Stabilization Force that would help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.

Hamas Responds With Cautious Support

Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim offered qualified support for the governance committee but made clear that words need to translate into action. "The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee," he told Al Jazeera.

The US-backed Gaza peace plan got UN Security Council approval last fall and officially launched October 10. It triggered a ceasefire, hostage releases by Hamas, and a staged withdrawal of Israeli forces under Trump's 20-point framework.

Now the plan is moving into its second phase, which focuses on disarmament, reconstruction, and transitional governance. But plenty of thorny security and political questions remain unresolved.

Fragile Truce Faces Major Challenges

The ceasefire isn't exactly holding smoothly. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that Israeli operations have killed more than 450 Palestinians since the truce supposedly began, and both sides keep accusing each other of breaking the agreement. For many Palestinians, the key demand is straightforward: a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. The plan mentions this, but there's still no clear timeline.

Hamas hasn't publicly agreed to full disarmament yet, which is a dealbreaker for Israel. Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton has warned that this could sink Trump's entire plan if it's not resolved.