President Donald Trump signed the charter of the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, ahead of the likely shift to the second phase of the Trump Plan that was announced in October, which effectively ended the 2-year war between Israel and Hamas.

"I ended 8 wars in 9 months, including Thailand-Cambodia, Kosovo-Serbia, Congo-Rwanda, Egypt-Iran, India-Pakistan – two nuclear powers," Trump declared during his address. He added that work on Egypt-Ethiopia tensions had been "just about settled in the first term, and then we had a rigged election."

Regarding his approach to conflict resolution, Trump noted a departure from traditional diplomatic channels. "On the eight wars that ended I never spoke with the UN. They didn't try hard enough," he said.

Video: Trump launches Board of Peace / Reuters

Middle East focus

The president devoted considerable attention to Middle Eastern developments, particularly the Gaza situation and hostage negotiations.

"Last October we released a plan for an end to the war in Gaza, and adopted by Security Council. Under Phase 1, we are going to have to very strongly, maintain the Gaza ceasefire, and record humanitarian aide. You don't hear that people are starving anymore," Trump stated.

On hostage releases, Trump credited his son-in-law Jared Kushner's involvement: "We secured the release of all 20 hostages. Jared worked so hard. There were 20 remaining hostages. We got hundreds out but the last ones were hardest. About 28 that were dead, but they wanted them just as much as the living. Sometimes even more."

He vowed that Hamas will pay a price if it does not return the last remaining deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, and noted that Gaza's reconstruction was dependent on that.

Addressing Hamas directly, Trump issued a clear ultimatum while presenting a broader reconstruction plan: "We are tracking them all, every single one of them. I have been very clear that Hamas must return that last remaining hostage, and then we get on to other things. Gaza will be beautifully rebuilt and then we can spread out to other things. We are going to be very successful in Gaza, and it will be great thing to watch. We will do it in conjunction with the UN. It has tremendous potential."

Trump also addressed the successful June campaign with Israel that hit Iran's nuclear program: "In June we obliterated Iran's nuclear capacities. Midnight Hammer – every one of the B-2 bombs went into the air shafts and obliterated [in the underground facilities in Fordo]. They were two months away from a nuclear weapons, we couldn't let that happen." He then said, against the ongoing tension with Tehran, that diplomacy might still work to defuse the situation, presumably referring to the ongoing threat to use force again either in support of protestors or against the nuclear program. " They want to talk and we will talk," he said. Regarding Lebanon, Trump stated: "Hezbollah and Lebanon. We have to do something about that."

Expanding his vision beyond traditional conflict zones, Trump said: "Many good things are happening in the Middle East. It's a lot different than a year ago. In Nigeria we are annihilating terrorists who are killing Christians."

The Board of Peace Charter is officially ratified in Davos.

"Congratulations, President Trump. The Charter is now in full force, and the Board of Peace is now an official international organization!" pic.twitter.com/OGQkVvlwqE

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 22, 2026

The president emphasized broad international support for the peace initiative, noting that "just about every country wants to be a part of it. Letters were sent several days ago. Every one of them is a friend of mine," referring to those on stage with him. The document was signed between Trump and the foreign ministers of Morocco and Qatar. Then, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke, saying: "We are here today because of President Trump's vision. If we go back just a few months ago, people thought what was happening in Gaza was impossible to solve... No one thought that that would ever come to a resolution without more fighting and more bloodshed... but President Trump had the vision and the courage to dream the impossible, to believe that it was doable, and to pursue it with all of his heart."

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Shmuelevitz faces a litany of grave charges: serious espionage, delivery of secret information, fraud, and trespassing in a military zone. The indictment alleges that during the widespread confusion and mass reserve mobilization in the war's first days, he infiltrated the Southern Command base in Beersheba while posing as a captain. Prosecutors say he exploited the chaotic atmosphere, convinced a colonel to sign off on his mobilization, and embedded himself for roughly a week in highly classified operational meetings he had no clearance to attend.

Authorities further allege that Shmuelevitz recorded intelligence data, mission plans, and classified specifics in a notebook discovered at the base. He is also accused of discussing sensitive information with colleagues and even recruiting other soldiers for an intelligence team that operated – ostensibly – as part of the war effort, all without any lawful authority.

In her decision, Supreme Court Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz ruled that the offenses attributed to Shmuelevitz were committed during an unprecedented national emergency, exploiting a moment of acute security vulnerability – a factor that underscores both the severity of the acts and the public's right to know. The justices noted that the passage of time since the war's outbreak, the reduction in high-intensity combat, and the shifting stance of security officials all justify the disclosure.

Shmuelevitz argued that revealing his name would put his life at risk due to a "witches' sabbath" of online conspiracy theories attributing false and treasonous acts to him, including collaboration with the enemy. Canfy-Steinitz dismissed these arguments, noting they were raised only during the appeal stage, that Shmuelevitz is currently held in custody under hospitalization conditions, and that no evidence was provided to substantiate the threat.

Addressing privacy concerns, the justice ruled that Shmuelevitz's name had already circulated widely on the internet, social media, and even in public legal rulings concerning other cases.

Nevertheless, the court sided with the State in maintaining the anonymity of officers ranked colonel and above, citing concerns for state security and the officers' personal safety, including the risk of legal harassment or threats abroad.

Shmuelevitz's family released a statement defending him: "Since the investigation began, Asaf was presented as a 'spy and traitor,' while we claim he left his home on October 7 as an Israeli patriot to contribute to the war effort. With the publication of the paraphrase and the exposure of the affair's details, it became clear that this is not espionage, and that the charges against him were disproportionate."

The family maintains that Asaf entered IDF bases as a reservist, completed an mobilization process, served for 11 days, and received authorization from senior Southern Command figures. "At most, this is an information security offense that should have been clarified within a disciplinary framework, and the evidence shows he did not impersonate another person and did not act with malice," the statement read.

A medical evaluation – accepted by the State – determined he was mentally unfit at the time of the events. He chose to proceed with the legal process, believing he would be acquitted and the charges disproven.

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, who fought to lift the gag order, responded to the ruling: "It took the detached judges of the Supreme Court 'only' 838 days to decide on the difficult issue of permitting the name of the defendant in espionage at Southern Command, Asaf Shmuelevitz. That same Asaf, who arrived in the days of October 7 with a cellphone in his underwear to record, document, and photograph highly sensitive materials from inside 'The Pit' (the underground command center) at Southern Command – is only the tip of the iceberg in that affair."

Cohen added: "I will continue to fight to expose all of it: Who were his handlers, what was his desire, and why was the name of Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan written in his notebook and phone conversations even took place. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. The people of Israel are entitled and want to know who abandoned us – and to bring all the guilty to justice, behind bars until their last day."

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Hamas' wish list includes: stationing its officials in Gaza's incoming administration; integrating hundreds of its security force into the Palestinian security apparatus assigned to govern the Strip; preserving status as a legitimate political faction eligible to run in Palestinian Authority elections; and securing protection or safe passage for the organization's top brass against Israeli elimination campaigns both in and beyond the territory. Moreover, Hamas insists a select contingent of its fighters retain weaponry for safeguarding senior leadership in the Strip – indefinitely, pending their perception of security.

Yet these prerequisites were not delivered as formal, comprehensive Hamas guarantees, but surfaced as a negotiating option – an informal trial balloon. Intelligence agencies assess that Hamas and other terrorist groups boasts tens of thousands of small arms, hundreds of anti-tank rocket systems, mortars, alongside a small arsenal of short- and medium-range missile launchers and rockets.

An Arab source embedded in the talks indicates the Palestinian Authority has balked at these terms, though Turkey-led mediator discussions have stressed that "senior Hamas officials' legitimate security concerns warrant serious consideration, and their appetite to retain modest quantities of weapons for self-defense merits respect." The Americans have not formally weighed in, and talks are projected to resume next week between the American negotiating team – headed by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – and Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas' lead negotiator.

A top-ranking security official contends the Hamas question in Gaza remains in limbo, contingent on Iran's trajectory. Should Washington attempt regime change there or significant destabilization, the likelihood of Hamas capitulation rises sharply, the source says.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump addressed the Hamas disarmament issue frontally: "I believe peace exists across the Middle East save for a handful of 'hot spots' – Hamas among them. Hamas has committed to surrendering its weapons. They were born with guns in their hands, so this isn't simple for them. But they pledged to do it and they must, and we'll have our answer within three days, perhaps three weeks. If they don't comply, they will be blown out rather swiftly."

The statement carries weight both for the deadline Trump imposed and for positioning Hamas weaponry as the primary impediment to regional peace. Trump's solution, should Hamas defy disarmament, comes wrapped in military terminology but signals Israel will get a free hand to act unilaterally.

Trump similarly tackled Iran, crediting the June Israeli-American strikes with establishing the foundation for Middle Eastern stability. "We had a regional tyrant – they called him Iran. He's a tyrant no longer...Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the rest couldn't sign on because a dark shadow hung over the arrangement. If we hadn't neutralized Iran's nuclear facilities, they'd have gone atomic within months."

Trump sketched an audacious, remorseless worldview at the Davos gathering – one centered on unchallenged American hegemony. To Europe's leaders, his message rang unmistakable: "I am the world's authority. Cooperate with me or I exercise my dominance."

New global disorder

Trump is tearing down the classical international order, casting it as actually "world disorder," with himself as the emerging architect. This manifests through the creation of a Gaza Board of Peace – an forum to which he's invited global leaders. Most Middle Eastern powers, including Israel, have accepted. Others remain noncommittal.

The board's blueprint: to function as a more effective, Trump-controlled mechanism for addressing planetary challenges. Per our earlier reporting, the multinational peacekeeping contingent earmarked for Gaza could become the board's deployable force across regional conflicts.

Israel surfaced in Trump's remarks, though the framing proved questionable. Trump asserted US authorship of the Iron Dome and Golden Dome interceptors: "What we delivered for Israel was extraordinary. I told Bibi – stop taking credit for the Dome; that's American engineering. But they demonstrated tremendous bravery, and we neutralized the Iranian threat like nobody's done before."

In reality, the development did receive partial American financing and tech assistance, yet the engineering and advancement were fundamentally Israeli. Just as Trump claimed credit for June's Iran operations – largely executed by Israel – he's similarly misattributing Israeli innovation. Nonetheless, the Middle East and Israel remained tertiary topics throughout the address and the Q&A that followed.

The actual flashpoint: Europe and Greenland

Trump's clash with Western Europe dominated the stage, particularly his fixation on Greenland. The president justified American interest in the Arctic possession: "Each NATO member must pledge to safeguard its territory – and no allied coalition can shield Greenland except America."

In his framing, Greenland "is positioned openly in a crucial zone involving the US, Russia, and China – dead center. America's core defense strategy depends on it – barring adversarial penetration into our hemisphere. That's why we've pursued Greenland for two centuries. Only the United States can be Greenland's protector."

Trump stressed he seeks purchasing the island, not a lease. He intimated American military options regarding Greenland but underscored he won't deploy them.

The American leader unleashed fierce attacks on Europe's progressive migration model and championed his shift in US immigration stance. He labeled the green energy transition "the green climate scam," remarking: "Nations multiplying wind turbines multiply their losses. China palms these off to naive buyers – and rakes in billions. They're stunned the trend persists."

For all the Greenland emphasis, the paramount geopolitical prize remains Ukraine's war. If Trump engineers a settlement, it becomes irrefutable validation of his self-proclaimed status as "king of the new world."

Trump's Davos address embodies his unwavering conviction: the globe must reorganize per his American blueprint, or prepare to confront the planet's foremost superpower.

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Over decades, Rifaat occupied high-ranking roles under his brother's reign, the Syrian dictator Hafez Assad. He rose to prominence in the security and military elite and was viewed as a likely successor. Ultimately, Hafez opted to hand power to his son. Initially, he groomed the eldest son Basil Assad, but he perished in a car crash. Afterward, Hafez shifted focus to priming Bashar Assad for leadership. Amid this transition, Rifaat fell out with him and had no choice but to flee into exile overseas.

As noted, Rifaat Assad played a central role in quelling the uprising spearheaded by the local Muslim Brotherhood in the city of Hama in 1982. The city boasted a substantial Sunni Muslim community and served as a bastion for the group. The Muslim Brotherhood launched their revolt in retaliation for the executions of its imprisoned members, which stemmed from a botched assassination bid on Hafez Assad. Within that operation, Rifaat Assad commanded the security units that butchered tens of thousands of Syrians over several weeks.

Throughout his exile in Europe, reports emerged that Rifaat Assad amassed fortunes through investments and property acquisitions. This prompted a probe in France into the origins of his wealth. In 2022, he was found guilty of acquiring real estate and financial holdings valued at millions of euros (approximately millions of dollars) using illicitly funneled money.

In 2021, Syrian media outlets reported that the then dictator Bashar al-Assad permitted his uncle to return to the capital Damascus. Three years later, the court in Switzerland filed an indictment against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Hama massacre.

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A pair of officers who rushed to put out the flames on their burning colleague also got hurt, and medics took them away with minor wounds. The suspect took off but got nabbed following a pursuit.

Rambam Medical Campus said, "A man suffering from burns from an incident that occurred in the Krayot was evacuated. He arrived conscious and is being treated for his injuries, we will update later."

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Those whose entry was banned include religious figures, journalists, academics, content creators, opinion leaders, and senior officials in public bodies whose activities go beyond legitimate political expression and are characterized by systematic calls for boycotts, glorification of violence, justification of attacks on civilians, and dissemination of content with antisemitic characteristics.

According to information that reached the ministry, Bilal Erdoğan meets these definitions. Entry was also banned for Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım, who heads the IHH (a Turkish humanitarian group) and was responsible for the Mavi Marmara flotilla (the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident), among other things. The decision also banned entry for Dr. Ali Erbaş, the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs.

The decision was made after examining the background and activities of the Turkish organizations, following Amendment No. 40 and in accordance with an inter-ministerial agreement regarding the transfer of recommendations and information from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. The ministry's position will be forwarded to the Population and Immigration Authority, which is effectively responsible for enforcing entry bans to Israel.

In a letter to Amnon Shmueli, Acting Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority, Director General Cohen Scali wrote that this is a "recommendation to prevent entry to Israel of Turkish officials involved in boycott activities and glorification of violence."

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, who sets policy regarding the entry of hostile elements to Israel, said that "Turkey is an enemy state. These days, we understand more than ever that Turkey is part of the axis of evil, and just as we act against terrorist organizations, so we will act against Turkey, which is revealing itself as an enemy state."

Avi Cohen Scali added that "these are senior officials from Turkey, including media figures and senior businesspeople who act consistently and publicly to promote boycotts, delegitimization and incitement against the State of Israel, inciting hatred and encouraging boycotts against the State of Israel."

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism stated: "We view with severity any attempt at delegitimization and undermining of the resilience of the State of Israel. In light of this, we will continue to monitor and act decisively against elements that incite hatred and encourage boycotts against the State of Israel."

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