Draft Board of Peace resolution proposes legal immunity for members and contractors in Gaza

A draft resolution for the UN-sanctioned Board of Peace proposes granting its members, staff, and contractors immunity from arrest, detention, or legal proceedings in Gaza courts. The four-page document, labeled “sensitive but unclassified,” extends the protections to the Board’s executive board, the office of the high representative, Palestinian technocrats, international military forces, and nonresident contractors.

” The Board of Peace was established earlier this year to administer Gaza under a UN security council mandate that runs until 31 December 2027. Its seven-member executive board includes Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Susie Wiles, and Marco Rubio.

Immunity provisions The draft defines the scope of immunity as covering “any arrest, detention or legal proceedings in the courts or other entities in Gaza.” It leaves unclear whether the protections would extend to international courts. The chair of the Board of Peace would retain the right to waive an individual’s immunity with majority support from the executive board.

Contractor and legal concerns Six lawyers who reviewed the draft for The Guardian said the text does not specify how claims of property damage, personal injury, or death would be handled outside the Board’s own internal process. The document contains a section titled “Third Party Liability/Claims” that would allow the Board to adjudicate such cases itself.

Contractors bidding on rubble removal, security, and reconstruction work have asked for clearer legal frameworks, according to one American security contractor cited in the reporting.

” The draft resolution has not been shared with the Palestinian administrators selected to help govern Gaza, according to a person familiar with recent meetings in Cairo.