Washington intends to hold the first meeting of the Gaza Peace Council leaders on February 19

Media sources, quoting a US official and diplomats, reported that the White House plans to hold a meeting of the "Gaza Peace Council" leaders on February 19, as part of pushing for the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. According to the sources, the anticipated meeting will be the first official meeting of the Council and will include a donors' conference dedicated to the reconstruction of Gaza.

The sources pointed out that preparations are still in their early stages and may be subject to changes, while the White House declined to comment officially. The administration of President Donald Trump has begun communicating with dozens of countries to invite their leaders and participate in the logistical arrangements for the meeting scheduled to be held in Washington D.C.

In a related context, sources quoted Israeli officials as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may meet President Donald Trump at the White House on February 18, one day before the expanded meeting.

The sources quoted the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, as saying that Washington seeks to launch an "agreed-upon disarmament process," which includes the complete destruction of military infrastructure and tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement of the "Gaza Peace Council" last month was met with widespread skepticism, as Western countries refrained from joining it due to its broad powers and the exclusive veto right granted to US President Donald Trump over its decisions, which led some countries to believe that it was an unofficial alternative to the UN Security Council.

The "Gaza Peace Council" currently has 27 members chaired by Trump, and it has received a mandate from the Security Council to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire and work on governance and reconstruction files. The implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect last October, is proceeding very slowly, as Israel has allowed the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, while the technocratic Palestinian government is still operating from Egypt without entering Gaza.

Washington seeks to launch an agreed-upon disarmament process, which includes the destruction of military infrastructure and tunnels in the Gaza Strip.