The Lawfare Podcast

Lawfare Daily: Trump's Board of Peace and What's Next for Gaza, with Joel Braunold

Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Scott R. Anderson
Guest: Joel Braunold (Managing Director, The Center Project)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the Trump administration’s new "Board of Peace" and its ambitious, controversial role in Gaza’s reconstruction and governance following the ceasefire. Joel Braunold joins to discuss the new multi-phase plan for Gaza, the unprecedented international mechanisms created to manage it, the political and security obstacles, and what the future might hold for the region—especially as it relates to Israel, Palestinian self-determination, and the emerging role of the U.S. as both peace broker and de facto administrator.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gaza Peace Plan: The Three Phases

[03:26]
Joel Braunold:

• Phase One: Hostage/prisoner exchange, ceasefire, contours of Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament commitments.
• Phase Two: Establishment of new governance for Gaza, rebuilding efforts, beginning Palestinian technocratic rule, potential application of the International Security Stabilization Force (ISF).
• Phase Three: Ties to a broader Israeli-Palestinian political resolution, potential pathway to Palestinian self-determination.

“President Trump took what he thought was yeses and sort of fudged between phase one and phase two back just after the UNGA back in September... All but one of the Israeli hostages... have been returned.” (Joel Braunold, 03:49)

Current Status:

• Hostage exchange largely completed; one body remains missing, stalling some progress.
• Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrawn to the first withdrawal line; Gaza remains divided (Israel controls ~52%, Hamas controls the rest).
• The new Coordinated Military Civilian Command Center (CMCC) established—U.S. led, with CENTCOM based in Israel and 28 participating nations.

2. The Board of Peace: Design, Function, and Controversies

[06:43 - 07:38; 12:46; 21:44]

• Structure & Authority:
  • Not a U.N. body, but endorsed by the U.N. Security Council to administer Gaza till November 2027.
  • Led by President Trump personally (not ex officio as US President), with a $1B "membership" buy-in for countries wanting a permanent seat.
  • Executive board comprises Trump’s inner circle (Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio, Ajay Banga), international figures (Tony Blair, Nikolai Mladenov), and business leaders (Mark Rowan).
  • Gaza Executive Committee: Regional leadership—Turkey (Hakan Fidan), Qatar (Ali Al Thawadi), Egypt (General Hassan Rashad), UAE (Reemal Hashemi), UN representation (Sigrid Kaag), influential financiers, and technocrats.
• Mandate Expansion:
  • Initial (mandated) purpose is Gaza governance and peace implementation.
  • Increasingly seen as an attempted rival or supplement to the United Nations for broader international disputes.

“It's kind of an extraordinary, extraordinary organization... you can have some countries buy a seat on this Board of Peace with a billion dollar contribution.” (Scott R. Anderson, 06:43)

“It's a Trumpian dictatorship basically where President Trump gets to say the rules of the road... he likes this mentality of being the guy people come to to solve conflicts.” (Joel Braunold, 22:47)

• Outside Critics:
  • Israeli Outrage: Strong protests, especially at Turkish and Qatari involvement, seen as adversarial to Israeli interests.
  • Regional Dynamics: Palestinians, PA, and some in Hamas see technocratic committee as credible; Islamic Jihad and some factions less supportive.
  • Investment Issues: Qatar and Saudi Arabia refuse to fund rebuilding in Israeli-controlled zones; UAE potential sole backer—future uncertain.

3. Technocratic Committee and Local Governance Dilemmas

[12:41; 37:26; 38:29]

• National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG):
  • 12-member Palestinian technocrat team, welcomed by PA and U.S., but blocked by Israel from entering Gaza.
  • Key Problem: Actual civil service staff and funding mechanisms unclear; blocked access via Rafah crossing, stalling implementation.
  • Hamas: Willing to cede governing functions to technocrats; wants legitimacy/representation in return for decommissioning.
  • PA/Israeli Dilemmas: PA wants reformed, empowered Ramallah to lead; Israel resists PA influence and fears Hamas gaining legitimacy.
  • Future of Reforms: No clear mechanism for certifying PA “reforms” to progress toward Palestinian self-determination.

4. International Security Stabilization Force (ISF)

[12:41; 44:41; 45:33]

• Command: Led by General Jasper Jeffries (U.S., CENTCOM/SOCOM background).
• Mandate Ambiguity:
  • Are they to forcibly disarm Hamas? Peacekeeping only? Policing? Roles still debated.
  • Troop contributors (Morocco, possibly Indonesia/Pakistan) hesitate without clarity on security versus police action.
  • Israel: No Turkish/Qatari troops allowed; fears a power vacuum or loss of control; adamant about not harming international troops.
• Deployment: Most likely to patrol borders/entry points, not deep into Gaza.

“The ultimate decision maker is the chairman of the board of peace, which is Trump. Right. So before anyone gets any imagination to anyone else is in charge of. He's in charge.” (Joel Braunold, 45:33)

5. Broader Geopolitical Dynamics and UN Rivalry

[21:44]

• The Board of Peace’s “charter” and Trump’s personal leadership point towards a rival peace/multilateral framework.
• Open membership to all states (even autocracies and traditional U.S. rivals), under exclusive Trump prerogative.
• Concerns over legal status, future legitimacy, and sustainability beyond Trump’s tenure.

6. Humanitarian and Security Realities on the Ground

[53:27]

• Humanitarian:
  • Goods entering Gaza have increased—“sustaining, but not sustainable.”
  • U.N. and World Food Programme heavily involved; Israel vetting and excluding many NGOs (especially those seen as linked to Muslim Brotherhood).
  • UNRWA effectively banned by Israel.
  • Living conditions marginally improved since ceasefire but still dire.

“There's enough [aid] that it's avoiding starvation... but we need to get back to a sense of normalcy and we're not there yet.” (Joel Braunold, 53:30)

• Security:
  • Ceasefire violations by both sides; Israel often takes unilateral action against perceived threats.
  • U.S. sometimes restrains Israeli actions, e.g., blocking expansion into additional Gaza territory.
  • Ongoing concern: if the technocratic committee cannot physically enter Gaza, governance and reconstruction are paralyzed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the unprecedented nature of the Board of Peace:

  “This is not an organ that is created by the UN Security Council. It just welcomes its creation and basically gives it its ability to run the territory... really because people were fed up of the conflict, recognized that the US Was the only one who could restrain Israeli action.”
  (Joel Braunold, 07:38)

• On Israeli dissatisfaction:

  “The Israelis have reacted furiously. In a very rare public condemnation by Prime Minister Netanyahu to the Trump administration, furious that the Turks and the Qataris... are on this executive board for Gaza.”
  (Joel Braunold, 12:11)

• On reconstruction funding hurdles:

  “Who is going to pay for the reconstruction of Gaza? ... The Qataris... have now said that they're not willing to invest on the Israeli side of Gaza... So will the UAE be the only ones funding on sort of that side of Gaza? Again, unclear.”
  (Joel Braunold, 01:33, restated at [15:27])

• On structural ambiguity and Trump’s centralization of power:

  “The chairman has the full authority to do anything he wants... and this is, I think what is driving people sort of potty about this whole thing.”
  (Joel Braunold, 22:47)

• On the fragility of the humanitarian situation:

  “It’s at a level that’s sustaining but not sustainable.”
  (Joel Braunold, 53:30)

• On the risk of Gaza’s experiment dictating the region’s future:

  “You build the perfect technical democratic liberal... society in Gaza through this technocratic committee... and then whatever works there, you then import back into the West Bank. ... The other one is that you reform the West Bank and then you import the reforms into Gaza.”
  (Joel Braunold, 38:29)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:26] Gaza Plan Overview: Three Phases
• [06:43–15:27] Board of Peace Design, Mandate, and Composition
• [21:44] Board of Peace as UN Rival, International Reactions
• [32:25] Gaza Executive Committee, Regional Dynamics, and Funding
• [37:26–44:41] Palestinian Technocrat Committee and Governance Roadblocks
• [45:33] ISF: Role, Command, Contributions, and Mandate Dilemmas
• [53:27] On-the-Ground Humanitarian and Security Update

Flow & Tone

• In-Depth Yet Accessible: Breaks down complex diplomatic maneuvers into digestible segments, interspersed with real-time analysis.
• Clear-Eyed Realism: No sugar-coating of humanitarian struggle, political obstacles, or uncertainties.
• Candid & Wry: Not shying from the odd quip or moments of incredulity as bureaucracy and geopolitics collide.

For Listeners Who Missed the Conversation

This episode is a comprehensive, sobering look at the latest, historically unprecedented international attempt to stabilize and rebuild Gaza. The hosts dissect the new self-styled "Board of Peace"—an American-centric hybrid of diplomatic summit, multilateral boardroom, and donor club—crafted by Donald Trump and co. The dialogue unpacks the unprecedented stacking of American power, Israeli fury at losing control, the persistent divisions in Palestinian politics, geopolitics of aid, and the sheer difficulty of building peace atop a mountain of dashed expectations.

If you want to follow Gaza’s future—and the fate of U.S.-led peace mechanisms—this is the essential explainer.