Rubio warns 'no plan B for Gaza' as peace board launches, failure means war

2026-02-19 - 22:02

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stark warning Thursday at the inaugural meeting of President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, declaring that "there is no plan B for Gaza" and that failure would mean a return to war. Addressing leaders and senior officials from more than 45 nations assembled in Washington, Rubio sought to galvanize support for the fragile ceasefire and ambitious reconstruction agenda. The Only Path Forward "We have to get this right. There is no plan B for Gaza. Plan B is going back to war. No one here wants that," Rubio stated emphatically. He outlined what he termed "Plan A" as "the only path forward"—one that rebuilds Gaza "in a way of enduring and sustainable peace, where everyone can live there, side by side with one another, and never worry again about returning to conflict, to war, to human suffering and to destruction." The top US diplomat's remarks underscored the high stakes facing the newly formed body as it seeks to translate financial pledges and diplomatic commitments into tangible results on the ground. Fragile Ceasefire Context Rubio's urgency reflects the precarious nature of the US-backed ceasefire that has been in place since October 10, which halted Israel's two-year military campaign that killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023. Despite the truce, Gaza's Health Ministry reports Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, killing 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630 since the agreement took effect. These ongoing violations threaten to unravel the very peace the Board of Peace aims to consolidate. International Mobilization The Board of Peace, established within the framework of efforts toward a peaceful settlement in Gaza, has expanded its mandate to promote peacemaking globally, with additional states joining since its January founding in Davos. Thursday's inaugural meeting produced over $7 billion in pledges from Gulf nations and other states, with the United States committing $10 billion. Rubio's message to member states was clear: collective action and sustained commitment are essential to prevent Gaza from sliding back into the catastrophic violence that has defined much of the past two years.