Carney to accept Trump’s offer to join ‘Board of Peace’ in rebuild of Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to join the Board of Peace for Gaza.

Prime Minister Mark Carney will accept an invitation from Donald Trump to join the U.S. president’s “Board of Peace,” a U.S.-led effort in planning the future reconstruction of Gaza, CTV News has learned.

Speaking on background before departing China on Friday, a senior Canadian government official told reporters the request came earlier in the day. Carney will accept, but has not done so yet.

On Friday, the White House announced Trump would chair the Board of Peace, whose members will also include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair.

Carney was not mentioned in the White House statement. It’s not clear what role Carney will have on the board.

What is the ‘Board of Peace’?

The Board of Peace, which Trump will serve as chairman, will oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after more than two years of conflict, as well as the reconstruction of the region.

“The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the president’s (Gaza peace plan), providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” a White House press release explained.

Under Trump’s plan, the Board of Peace will supervise a Palestinian committee that will govern day-to-day affairs in Gaza. The Palestinian committee will be led by Ali Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza.

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Shaath expects reconstruction and recovery to take about three years and plans to focus first on immediate needs, including shelter.

“The Palestinian people were looking forward to this committee, its establishment and its work to rescue them,” Shaath said on Friday, in a television interview with Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News.

According to the White House statement, other appointed members include Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga, and Trump’s deputy national security adviser, Robert Gabriel.

The role of the board will range from regional relations to reconstruction and capital mobilization.

Another group being formed is the “Gaza Executive Board,” which the White House says will help “support effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services that advance peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Gaza.”

The appointed members include Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, Mladenov, as well as Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egyptian intelligence director General Hassan Rashad, Emirati politician Reem Al-Hashimy, Cypriot-Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay and former Netherlands deputy prime minister Sigrid Kaag.

Carney secures trade deal with China

The prime minister travelled to Beijing this week to secure what he called a “preliminary, but landmark” trade agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Canada agreed to cut the 100 per cent tariffs placed on Chinese-made electric vehicles down to 6.1 per cent, with nearly 50,000 EVs allowed in the Canadian market per year.

In exchange, China dropped duties on a number of agriculture products through the end of 2026, including canola meal, lobster crabs and peas.

After the announcement, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC the deal would be “problematic” for Canada may regret the decision.

“There’s a reason why we don’t sell a lot of Chinese cars in the United States,” Greer said. “It’s because we have tariffs to protect American auto workers and Americans from those vehicles.”

However, when asked by reporters on the White House lawn, Trump told reporters making a deal with China is what Carney “should be doing.”

“If you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”

With files from CTV News’ Lynn Chaya, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press