A draft resolution obtained by the Guardian reveals that the UN-sanctioned Board of Peace, announced by Donald Trump to govern Gaza, is planning to grant itself sweeping legal immunity. The document, marked 'sensitive but unclassified', would shield board members, security forces, and contractors from arrest, detention, or legal proceedings in Gaza.
The four-page resolution also proposes allowing the organisation to obtain public property in Gaza 'free of charge'. Immunity would extend to all members of the Board of Peace, its administrative office, Palestinian technocrats, international military forces, and non-resident contractors. It is unclear whether the document aims to exempt the board from international prosecution as well.
Donald Trump, as chair of the Board of Peace, would have the right to waive someone's immunity with majority support from the seven-member executive board, which includes Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Susie Wiles, and Marco Rubio. The board has not yet received most pledged funds or issued major contracts.
A board official denied the existence of an operative immunity framework, calling suggestions of impunity 'categorically false'. However, the official did not explain oversight mechanisms. Lawyers reviewing the draft noted that accountability for shootings, accidents, or disputes remains unclear, drawing parallels to controversies in US-led reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.
