World
Vatican declines to join Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace,’ calls for UN leadership
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The Vatican will not join President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace, its top diplomatic official said Tuesday, signaling reluctance from the Holy See to take part in the post-war initiative.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States,” the Vatican’s official news outlet reported.
The Board of Peace, which was chartered in January and includes nearly 20 countries, is tasked with managing recovery efforts in the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war.
While responding to questions about Italy declining to join the board, Parolin said “there are points that leave us somewhat perplexed,” adding that “there are some critical points that would need to find explanations.”
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The Vatican announced it will not participate in President Trump’s Gaza recovery board. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
“The important thing is that an attempt is being made to provide a response,” he said. “However, for us there are certain critical issues that should be resolved.”
Parolin continued, “One concern is that, at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted.”
Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope, received an invitation to join the peace board in January.
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The Vatican declined to join a U.S.-backed board tasked with overseeing post-war efforts in Gaza. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)
Leaders from 17 countries participated in the initial charter signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, including presidents and other senior government officials from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Central and Southeast Asia.
Israel formally joined the board last week ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump at the White House.
Several other countries were also invited by the White House, including Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece and China.
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President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace will move forward without Vatican participation. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Poland and Italy on Wednesday said they would not join.
Trump announced Sunday that board members have pledged more than $5 billion in aid for Gaza.
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The president said the funding would be formally pledged during a meeting Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
World
Video: ‘We Are Orphans’: Shiite Muslims Protest the Killing of Khamenei
new video loaded: ‘We Are Orphans’: Shiite Muslims Protest the Killing of Khamenei
By Nader Ibrahim and Malachy Browne
March 1, 2026
World
3 US service members killed, 5 seriously wounded in Iran operation
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Three U.S. service members were killed and five others were seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Sunday morning.
In addition, several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty, CENTCOM announced.
“The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” CENTCOM said.
Smoke rises over the city center after an Israeli army launches 2nd wave of airstrikes on Iran on Saturday. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
World
At least nine killed after Iranian strike on Israel’s Beit Shemesh
BREAKINGBREAKING,
The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service says that 20 others were injured by the impact.
Published On 1 Mar 2026
At least nine people have been killed after an Iranian missile strike on the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, as Tehran continued to launch retaliatory attacks a day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said on Sunday that nine people were killed and 20 other people were injured by the impact, including two in serious condition.
The Israeli military said in a statement that search and rescue teams, and a helicopter to evacuate those injured are currently operating in Beit Shemesh, with the army’s spokesperson adding that the circumstances of the impact from the Iranian ballistic missile are under review.
More to come …
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