ISRAEL agreed today to join US President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace for Gaza.

This came the day after it was reported that another Palestinian baby had died from hypothermia in the Gaza Strip, as Israel’s authorities continue to block desperately needed humanitarian aid from reaching the territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed today that he had agreed to join the Board of Peace, despite his office having previously criticised the composition of the board’s committee tasked with overseeing Gaza.

Norway and Sweden, meanwhile, said they would not be joining the board at this stage, following in the footsteps of France, which has expressed concern the board could seek to replace the United Nations as the mediator in global conflicts.

When asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether the board should replace the United Nations, Mr Trump said: “It might.”

He responded to the French refusal with a threat to slap 200 per cent tariffs on French wines and champagnes.

Chaired by Mr Trump, the board was originally envisaged as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan.

The Trump administration’s ambitions have since expanded it into a more sprawling concept, although each participating nation is expected to pay $1 billion (around £750 million) for the privilege of having every decision needing to be approved by the US president.

Joining Israel on the board will be Azerbaijan, Kosovo, the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Bahrain and Egypt.

Invitation letters from Mr Trump have also been sent to Britain, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, China, Paraguay, Turkey, India, Slovenia, Croatia, Thailand and the European Commission.

There is no representation for the Palestinians.

The board’s Gaza executive committee will be in charge of implementing the second phase of the peace agreement for the territory, including the disarmament of Hamas.

The committee includes Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Britain’s former prime minister Tony Blair.

Bulgarian former politician Nickolay Mladenov is to serve as the Gaza executive’s representative overseeing day-to-day matters.

In Gaza City, meanwhile, three-month-old Shaza Abu Jarad was found dead by her family on Tuesday morning in their tent in the Daraj district.

The baby was the ninth child to die from this winter’s severe cold in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

More than 100 children have died since the start of the ceasefire in October, including a 27-day-old girl who succumbed to hypothermia last weekend.