The high-level U.N. session in New York was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up after President Donald Trump announced the first Board of Peace meeting for the same day.

By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will host a Board of Peace meeting on Thursday in Washington, where he will announce that member states have pledged more than $5 billion for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in Gaza,

The U.N. Security Council will hold a high-level meeting on Gaza’s fragile ceasefire and expanding Israeli operations in the West Bank, shifted earlier to avoid clashing with President Trump’s inaugural Board of Peace meeting.

Amid criticism over the board’s structure and broad mandate, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. defended the board, saying “a new way” was needed to address the situation in Gaza.

During the first meeting of the Board of Peace, it will have to grapple not just with Gaza but its own utility. Energy provides a surprising answer.

Rome has stated that certain provisions of the board's statute are incompatible with the Italian constitution. The Board of Peace's first meeting is scheduled for Thursday in Washington DC. Italy's opposition groups criticized a government plan to attend ...