The Brazilian government began an internal evaluation of the invitation made by the United States for the country to join a new international forum focused on the Gaza Strip. The topic entered the agenda of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), who must discuss the matter with Chancellor Mauro Vieira before any official position.
The initiative was announced by Donald Trump as part of an American plan for the post-ceasefire phase in the Palestinian territory. Named , the group’s initial duties would be to debate governance, reconstruction, financing and political stabilization mechanisms in Gaza.
Drafts of the body’s statute, published by international agencies, such as Reuters e AFPindicate a centralized operating model, with a strong role from the United States. According to the preliminary design, Trump would be the first president of the council, responsible for driving the agenda and coordinating the work of the collegiate.
One of the points that aroused greater caution in Brasília is the cost of participation. The text foresees that countries interested in permanent seats contribute at least US$1 billion. Around Lula, the reading is that the high value requires a careful analysis of political return, diplomatic alignment and compatibility with Brazil’s historical positions in the Middle East conflict.
In addition to the financial aspect, there are relevant gaps regarding the effective role of the board. For example, the decision criteria, the division of responsibilities between members and the new forum’s relationship with traditional multilateral organizations, such as the United Nations, remain undefined. The fear is that the initiative will operate outside of already consolidated international structures.
The American proposal also generated reservations in other countries, mainly due to the possibility of the council becoming a parallel political instrument, without clear mechanisms of legitimacy or oversight.
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Washington released a broad list of invited leaders, including heads of state and government from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, as well as figures close to Trump’s political circle, such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey), Javier Milei (Argentina), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egypt), King Abdullah II (Jordan), Mark Carney (Canada), Giorgia Meloni (Italy), Edi Rama (Albania), Viktor Orbán (Hungary), Nicușor Dan (Romania) and Nikos Christodoulides (Cyprus). According to Russian state media, Vladimir Putin was also invited.
The initial group also brings together names linked to financial organizations and international diplomacy, signaling the intention to combine security, economic reconstruction and political articulation. Among them are: former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, executive Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, appointed as High Representative for Gaza.
