Trump seeks to make 'Board of Peace' alternative to UN, Palestinian official says

U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to make the so-called "Board of Peace" an alternative to the UN, Palestinian officials said on Sunday.

Sabri Saidam, deputy secretary-general of Fatah's central committee, told reporters that the board's message remains unclear and excludes Palestinians.

Saidam said that the Palestinian side fears that Trump remains determined to pursue projects that exclude Palestinians, erase their rights and promote displacement.

Meanwhile, Omar Awadallah, Palestinian deputy foreign minister for political and legal affairs, stressed the importance of supporting international institutions and working to promote security, stability and peace in the region, with the goal of establishing a Palestinian state.

In remarks to the radio station Voice of Palestine, Awadallah said any newly formed councils should not replace legitimate Palestinian institutions, adding that Palestinians seek stability, an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and a halt to killing and destruction, so that Gaza can recover and be rebuilt.

Trump formally launched the so-called "Board of Peace" on January 22 at a charter-signing ceremony during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Some major global powers and traditional U.S. allies have declined to join the board.