The Palestinian delegation has confirmed its participation in the inaugural meeting of the US-hosted Gaza Board of Peace, scheduled for February 19 in Washington. The meeting is part of a broader effort to establish a new framework for Middle East peace negotiations. According to US media reports, US President Donald Trump will host the meeting at the US Institute of Peace, bringing together members of the Gaza Board and the Executive Committee.
A total of 25 countries have joined the Gaza Board, with President Trump serving as its chairman. Pakistan has accepted an invitation to join the board, aimed at promoting a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, several key European countries, including the UK, France, and Norway, have declined to participate, viewing the board as a challenge to the United Nations’ authority.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, initially critical of the board, has now expressed willingness to participate. The meeting’s agenda has yet to be revealed, but US media sources suggest that the US sees the board’s creation as a key step towards implementing the second phase of the Gaza Deal, which includes demilitarizing Hamas and reconstructing Gaza.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has stated that his country will not compromise on its right to uranium enrichment, a key point of contention in US-Iran negotiations. Meanwhile, Japan’s ruling coalition has secured a landslide victory in the country’s snap parliamentary elections. A stabbing incident has occurred at a medical university hostel in the Russian city of Ufa.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has resigned. China has condemned the mosque bombing in Islamabad, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressing its condolences to the victims and their families. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has also offered his condolences to the Turkish President and people.
US President Donald Trump has deleted a video posting criticizing former President Barack Obama, after the Washington Post’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, took issue with the move. The two leaders are set to meet to discuss US-Iran negotiations. A former prisoner, who was released on February 4, has expressed gratitude to the Gujarat High Court for his release.
A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate, Syed Sarwar Jamal Naizam, has appealed to bribe-takers to refrain from their activities until February 12, the date of the national elections. A bizarre incident occurred in Delhi when a man, mistakenly believed to be named Mohammad Deepak, was identified by a group of BJP supporters while they were questioning a shopkeeper.
The family of a man who died in a gas explosion at a coal mine in Ukraine has expressed gratitude to the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. A meeting between the leaders of MQM, PTI, and JI has been extended beyond its scheduled 9 pm deadline. The UAE Cricket Board has contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board, requesting a review of its decision to withdraw from the upcoming match against India on February 15.
MQM leader Nusrat Jali has criticized the PTI for rigging the 2018 elections, while opposition leader Senator Raja Naseer Abbas has held the Islamabad police and Ministry of Interior accountable for the mosque bombing. England has defeated Nepal in a T20 World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, setting a target of 185 runs for the Nepalese team. IJI leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has criticized the government for failing to implement a law banning interest rates in financial institutions.
