Venus Williams earns a wild card return to Indian Wells for singles and doubles

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) —Venus Williamsis getting a wild card into the singles and doubles draws for the BNP Paribas Open next month in the Southern California desert.

The 45-year-old will be making her first appearance in the tournament since 2024, when she lost in the first round as a wild card. She's a three-time semifinalist, most recently in 2018. She boycotted the event between 2002 and 2016 after a controversial incident in 2001.

"It's an honor to award the first wild card of this year's event to Venus Williams," tournament director Tommy Haas said Friday. "Venus is a legend of the game, and one of the most accomplished players our sport has ever seen."

It will be Williams' 10th career appearance in the tournament, which runs March 4-15. A year ago, she was given a wild card, but didn't accept it.

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"I'm so excited to be heading back to Indian Wells and can't wait to return home to play in California," Williams said.

She most recentlycompeted in the Australian Open, losing in the first round in singles and doubles.

Williams is scheduled to compete in the ATX Open, a WTA 250 event in Austin, Texas, that starts Saturday and runs through March 1.

AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

Venus Williams earns a wild card return to Indian Wells for singles and doubles

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) —Venus Williamsis getting a wild card into the singles and doubles draws for the BNP Paribas Op...

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UCLA coach Mick Cronin apologizes after ejecting his own player in blowout loss to Michigan State

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin issued a long apology Friday, days after hethrew his own player out of a lossfor a hard foul and got into it with a reporter.

Cronin said he directly apologized to center Steven Jamerson II, and that he thought he had committed a dirty play late in East Lansing in the final moments of UCLA's 82-59 loss against Michigan State. Now, after seeing the tape and all of the pushback, Cronin realized that wasn't what had happened.

"It's the only reason I sent him to the locker room," Cronin said, via the SoCal News Group's Aaron Heisen. "I thought he literally made a dirty play and tried to wipe the guy out. … To me, that's a bad play. You can't be down 25 or getting your butt kicked, don't try to take somebody out, hurt somebody on the other team, which is what I thought."

Cronin threw Jamerson out of the game himselfafter Jamerson drilled Michigan State center Carson Cooper on a breakaway dunk late in the blowout loss Tuesday night. Jamerson was called for a foul in the moment, though Cronin wasn't having it.

He called Jamerson over to the bench, grabbed him by his jersey and started walking him off the floor. Jamerson left without much protest.

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"I guess he upgraded that to a Flagrant 2, huh? That's the first time I've [seen] a coach do that," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. "That sounded like Mick, he'll get that straightened out."

Jamerson, a senior, finished with two points and two rebounds in eight minutes. He was hit with a technical foul on the play, as was Cooper for his reaction. Cooper split his free throws for the original foul, which put Michigan State up by 28 points at the time.

After the game, Cronin was still in a terrible mood. He got into it with a reporter who asked him about Michigan State's student section, and then Cronin asked if that reporter was raising his voice at him.

Cronin apologized for his behavior in general Friday, too, and said he needs to "dial back some of my humor" after the wave of criticism he received this week.

"In this climate, you have to be careful with what you say," he said. "Because, I'm a good fit here because I know I'm not bigger than the brand. The brand matters here, the school matters. The last thing I want to do is bring negative publicity to our school.

"Sometimes, because it's not about me, I don't care what people think about me, I need to do a better job knowing, 'Well I am the coach here.' I need to make sure I don't do anything to embarrass our school. For that, I apologize."

Cronin is in his sixth season at UCLA, which started the season No. 12 in the national rankings before falling out completely. Cronin holds a 155-73 record with the Bruins, whom he led to a Final Four in his second campaign with the school.

UCLA now sits at 17-9 this season after back-to-back blowout losses last week. The Bruins will host No. 10 Illinois on Saturday.

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

UCLA coach Mick Cronin apologizes after ejecting his own player in blowout loss to Michigan State

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin issued a long apology Friday, days after hethrew his own player out of a lossfor a hard foul ...

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Browns tab Travis Switzer as OC, Mike Rutenberg as DC, and Byron Storer as special teams coordinator

CLEVELAND (AP) —Todd Monkenstarted the process of filling out his first coaching staff with theCleveland Brownsby naming his coordinators on Friday.

Browns Monken Football

Travis Switzer was named offensive coordinator, Mike Rutenberg will direct the defense and Byron Storer will be the special teams coordinator.

This is Monken's firstNFLhead coaching job after 11 years as an assistant. He spent the previous three seasons as Baltimore's offensive coordinator.

Switzer was the run game coordinator in Baltimore the past three seasons. During that span, the Ravens led the league in rushing yards (166.9 per game), average rushing yards per carry (5.31) and rushes of 10-plus yards (230).

The Ravens also had the league's top-ranked offense in 2024, becoming the first team in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing and 3,000 rushing yards in a season.

Switzer went to college at Akron and has spent his entire NFL coaching career in Baltimore, starting as an administrative/performance staff assistant in 2017.

It will be the fourth straight season the Browns have had a different offensive coordinator. Monken, however, will call the offensive plays.

Monken and Switzer will need to determine the starting quarterback. The Browns have had a league-high 13 quarterbacks since 2020, including seven over the past two seasons.

Shedeur Sanders started the final seven games, going 3-4. He had a 56.6% completion rate and a 68.1 passer rating with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Deshaun Watson has played in only 19 games since being acquired in 2022. He has gone 9-10 as Cleveland's starter with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. He did not play in 2025 while rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon.

Dillon Gabriel, last year's third-round pick who started six games, is also on the roster.

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Rutenberg replacesJim Schwartz, who resigned after being passed over for the head coach opening. Monken said in a statement that Rutenberg has been in systems similar to Schwartz "but not the exact system because Jim was unique."

"They can say attacking style, but then there's attacking style, which is what they've done here up front," Monken said. "I think that background of being a four-down attacking style, but not exact, (and) to add some things that they had done before that I thought would mesh really well with the current staff, was a big part of that."

Schwartz was the architect of one of the league's top defenses the past three seasons. Cleveland led the league in total defense in 2023 and ranked fourth this season as Myles Garrett had 23 sacks andbroke the NFL single-season record.

Garrett was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and linebacker Carson Schwesinger the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Rutenberg — who was Atlanta's defensive pass game coordinator this past season — has 16 years of NFL experience. He came into the league as a player personnel intern and assistant to the head coach in Washington (2003-05) along with stops in Jacksonville (2013-19), San Francisco (2020) and the new York Jets (2021-24).

Storer has coached in the NFL for 12 years, including the past four as the assistant special teams coach in Green Bay. Storer has also coached in Tampa Bay (2010-11), San Diego (2012-13) and the Raiders (2018-21). He stepped way from coaching for four years to help start a new branch of his family's transportation business in San Francisco.

Storer replaces Bubba Ventrone, who was Cleveland's special teams coordinator the past three seasons before heading to the Los Angeles Rams.

Even though the NFL scouting combine begins next week, Monken said during his introductory news conference that there wasn't a deadline to get his entire coaching staff hired.

"I don't control that. I mean we're going to vet as many candidates as we can to get it right," he said. "I think, just like they all vetted for the head coach coaching position, don't get worn out — make sure you get the right people at the start, and that's what we're going to do. So, there is no timeline to get it right."

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

Browns tab Travis Switzer as OC, Mike Rutenberg as DC, and Byron Storer as special teams coordinator

CLEVELAND (AP) —Todd Monkenstarted the process of filling out his first coaching staff with theCleveland Brownsby naming ...

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What Rebecca Gayheart has said about husband Eric Dane, his ALS journey

Eric Dane's wifeRebecca Gayhearthas been frank about her relationship with the "Grey's Anatomy" actor and his ALS battle.

The couple, who dated for 10 months before marrying in 2004, have broken up and reconciled as coparents in recent years.

Gayheart, 54,filed for divorce from Danein 2018 after 14 years of marriage, butfiled to dismiss the divorcein March 2025, according toE!andPeople. The model, who shares daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with the "Euphoria" actor, dismissed the filing a month before Dane publicly revealed his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis.

Actor Eric Dane has died following a battle with ALS. He was 53. He leaves behind two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, and wife Rebecca Gayheart. Look back at the family through the years when they joined together in the public eye.

Actress Rebecca Gayheart and actor Eric Dane attend the Chrysalis 3rd annual Butterfly Ball at a private residence on April 17, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rebecca Gayheart and husband Eric Dane attend the afterparty for the opening night of "Steel Magnolias" on Broadway on April 4, 2005, in New York City. The pair married in 2004.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart arrive at the premiere of A&E original film "Wedding Wars" at the ArcLight Theater Dec. 4, 2006, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart watch the show at the 6th annual General Motors TEN event at Paramount Studios on Feb. 20, 2007, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane arrive at the premiere of New Line Cinema's "Valentine's Day" held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Feb. 8, 2010, in Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rebecca Gayheart, Eric Dane, Billie Beatrice Dane, Georgia Dane and guests attend the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Built To Amaze! show on March 21, 2013, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Georgia Dane, Rebecca Gayheart, Eric Dane and Billie Beatrice Dane attend Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2013, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rebecca Gayheart, Eric Dane and their daughters attend the Huggies Snug & Dry and Baby2Baby Mother's Day Garden Party held on April 27, 2013, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left: Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart, Georgia Dane and Billie Beatrice Dane attend the 14th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 6, 2015, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rebecca Gayheart, Eric Dane and their family attend Amazon Video's Tumble Leaf Family Fun Day hosted by Au Fudge on Sept. 13, 2015, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left: Billie Beatrice Dane, Rebecca Gayheart, Georgia Dane and Eric Dane attend the 15th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball at a private residence on June 11, 2016, in Brentwood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left: Rebecca Gayheart, Eric Dane, Billie Beatrice Dane and Georgia Dane attend the 16th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 3, 2017, in Brentwood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left: Eric White, Patricia Arquette, Rosetta Getty, June Getty, Balthazar Getty, Violet Getty, Eric Dane, Billie Beatrice Dane, Rebecca Gayheart and Georgia Dane at the 16th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 3, 2017, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eric Dane and his daughters Billie Beatrice Dane and Georgia Dane attend the Los Angeles premiere of "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on May 30, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Eric Dane's family journey in photos

Actor Eric Dane has died following a battle with ALS. He was 53. He leaves behind two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, and wife Rebecca Gayheart. Look back at the family through the years when they joined together in the public eye.Actress Rebecca Gayheart and actorEric Daneattend the Chrysalis 3rd annual Butterfly Ball at a private residence on April 17, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California.

Eric Dane, 'Grey's Anatomy' star,dies at 53 following ALS battle

Gayheart toldE!in April –a day before Dane's announcement– that the pair were still the "best of friends" and that she still looks at her marriage as a "huge success" despite the couple no longer being together.

"I think it's important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It's just a season. It wasn't a failure," she continued. "We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years, and we had two beautiful kids. So I think that's a successful relationship, and that's how we look at it."

Two months after revealing his diagnosis, Dane, 53, toldDiane Sawyerthat Gayheart is the first person he calls when he needs support. "I talk to her every day," he said. "And she is probably my biggest champion, my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her."

Eric Dane praisedas 'heroic' in tributes from 'Euphoria,' 'Charmed' costars

On a November episode of the "Broad Ideas" podcast, she further explained her decision to call off the divorce, with the actress saying she wanted to set an example for their daughters.

"I am definitely trying to show them that we show up for people no matter what. And he is our family. He is your father," she said, though admitting the situation is "complicated."

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She added: "We show up and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it. And that we will get through it the best we can."

Eric Dane was perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka "McSteamy," in the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," but he also has other memorable roles under his belt.

Revisit the late actor's best roles, starting with a scene from "Grey's Anatomy" with Ellen Pompeo in 2006.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hamish Linklater, Eric Dane and Russell Hornsby, stars of ABC medical drama "Gideon's Crossing," during a press tour party in July 17, 2000, in Pasadena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Members of the cast of "Burlesque": Eric Dane, Stanley Tucci, Christina Aguilera, Cher, Cam Gigandet and Julianne Hough in a portrait made at the Four Seasons Hote in 2010.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Adam Baldwin and Eric Dane in 2014's "The Last Ship."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

How Eric Dane became a TV and film favorite. His best roles

Eric Dane was perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka "McSteamy," in the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," but he also has other memorable roles under his belt.Revisit the late actor's best roles, starting with a scene from "Grey's Anatomy" with Ellen Pompeo in 2006.

In December, Gayheart penned an essay forThe Cut, writing that the family "spending all this time together" was "nice" and "really positive" for their kids, though, "It's not that they have the hopes of us being together – kids always dream of their parents getting back together, and I think now ours don't because they understand the reality of the situation."

Rebecca Gayheart defends'complicated' relationship with Eric Dane

She admitted that their relationship may be "confusing for people."

"It's a very complicated relationship," she told the outlet. "Our love may not be romantic, but it's a familial love."

Dane died Thursday, Feb. 19, at age 53, his representative, Melissa Bank, confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY.

"With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS," the statement said. "He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.

"He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always," the statement concluded. "Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he's received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time."

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Eric Dane death – Rebecca Gayheart on husband, his ALS battle

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

What Rebecca Gayheart has said about husband Eric Dane, his ALS journey

Eric Dane's wifeRebecca Gayhearthas been frank about her relationship with the "Grey's Anatomy" actor a...

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Denise Richards Returns to RHOBH and Details Aaron Phypers Marriage Breakdown: ‘Hit Me…’

Trigger Warning: This article contains a discussion of domestic violence allegations.

The latest episode ofReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsfeatured a special appearance fromDenise Richards. The last time she popped up, she had her jacket on upside down at a cannabis dinner. This time, the tone was much, much different. She showed up to give a debrief on her divorce fromAaron Phypers.

Fresh into the divorce process, Denise sat down withSutton StrackeandErika Jayneto address her and Aaron's demise. During the chat, she shared details about the physical abuse that would later lead to Aaron's arrest.

Aaron Phypers has denied all claims of physical or emotional abuse

Denise appeared onRHOBH Season 15 Episode 10, which was filmed last summer. The headlines about Denise and Aaron were just starting to heat up, but as she explained to Erika and Sutton, there were issues happening for a while.

At one point in the conversation, Erika brought up the photo circling around the internet that appeared to show Denise with a black eye. That's when Denise opened up about the alleged physical abuse she endured from Aaron.

Denise told the ladies that it wasn't a "one-time thing," but the breaking point happened when she was trying to recover from some cosmetic surgeries. She said she "couldn't even walk," and Aaron had to help her get to the bathroom.

"And when I'm sitting on the toilet, he was trying to get my phone and f*cking hit me on the side of my head," Denise claimed. "I started crying. I'm like, that's when I really knew there was no hope at ever, ever salvaging this marriage at all."

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According to Denise, a similar incident happened in July while recovering from a facelift. She said he hit her again. That's when she realized she needed to take legal action.

"That's why I filed a restraining order and why we're getting divorced," Denise revealed to Erika and Sutton.

Several months after filming this scene, Denise shared her experiences in court. She,along with Aaron's cousin, detailed multiple allegations of abuse.

Aaron has denied any wrongdoing and claims he did not abuse Denise. However,the court did not agreewith that. They arrested him andcharged him with causing injuryto his estranged wife.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsairs on Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo. You can stream it the next day on Peacock.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.

TELL US – WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DENISE'S SPECIAL APPEARANCE ON RHOBH? ARE YOU PROUD OF DENISE FOR SHARING HER STORY?

The postDenise Richards Returns to RHOBH and Details Aaron Phypers Marriage Breakdown: 'Hit Me…'appeared first onReality Tea.

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

Denise Richards Returns to RHOBH and Details Aaron Phypers Marriage Breakdown: ‘Hit Me…’

Trigger Warning: This article contains a discussion of domestic violence allegations. The latest episode ofReal Housewives of Beverly Hill...

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Princess Eugenie Spotted at Ski Resort in Switzerland Ahead of Ex-Prince Andrew's Arrest: Report

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty; DAVID HARTLEY/Shutterstock

NEED TO KNOW

• Princess Eugenie was reportedly seen skiing with her family on the eve of her father Andrew's arrest

• The former Prince Andrew, now called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on Feb. 19

• Princess Eugenie was spotted in Gstaad, Switzerland, with her husband and children, according to Hello! magazine

Princess Eugeniereportedly hit the slopes in Switzerland shortly before her father, the formerPrince Andrew, was arrested.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wasarrested in Sandringham on Thursday, Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, and his younger daughter was spotted skiing in Gstaad on Wednesday, Feb. 18,Hello!magazinereported.

According to the outlet, the princess was with her husband,Jack Brooksbank, and their sonsAugust, 5, andErnest, 2. They were also joined by the family's nanny and a group of friends.

Hello!reported that they spent time skiing and had lunch at the slopeside Restaurant Waldmatte, where they sat inside.

Princess Eugenie/Instagram

"They were tucked away in a corner and casually dressed in ski gear and jackets, and Jack was wearing a beanie hat as they both browsed the menu," said a diner who saw them at lunchtime, per the outlet.

Switzerland is a special place for Eugenie and Jack, 39, who met during a ski trip to Verbier in 2010 and married in 2018. Her parents, the former Duke of York andSarah Ferguson, alsopreviously owned a ski chalet in Verbier, which was sold in 2022 amid a financial dispute with the former owner, who took the issue to court in 2020.

Princess Eugenie/Instagram

On Feb. 19, Eugenie's father was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Authorities are investigating him around a claim that he shared confidential information with the late Jeffrey Epstei​​n while acting as a trade envoy for the U.K., a position he held from 2001 to 2011. Andrew's ties to Epsteinset his step back from public life in motionin 2019, and he has continuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to their relationship.

PEOPLE understands thatBuckingham Palace was not informed of Andrew's arrest in advance, and the King, 77, released a statement soon aftervowing that the palace would cooperate with authoritiesin the investigation.

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Andrew was arrested around 8 a.m. local time andwas seen leaving Aylsham Police Station in Norfolkafter spending approximately 11 hours in custody. Policesaidon Thursday that they wrapped their searches in Norfolk, home to Andrew's current residence, while their searches continue in Berkshire, where his Royal Lodge residence, from which he was recently evicted, is located.

Leon Neal/Getty ; RICHARD WAINWRIGHT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

As Princess Eugenie and her sister,Princess Beatrice, navigate a renewed family fallout amid their father's arrest,a source tells PEOPLE that they are keeping their distance.

"They're trying to stay away from it. They have young children, and this is their grandfather — their focus is on protecting their own children from this," the source says.

As they protect their own families, the source adds, "They're also putting pieces of the puzzle together in real time and realizing they may have been used."

"That has to feel like a complete betrayal. They're heartbroken — but a dad is still your dad, and a mom is still your mom. Love for a parent isn't a light switch. It's an incredibly painful and introspective moment for them," the source says.

Paul Grover/Shutterstock

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have maintained their relationship with their father and mother during the recent turns of the former couple's Epstein-related fall from grace, inviting them tolow-profile family eventsandspending time together privately.

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

Princess Eugenie Spotted at Ski Resort in Switzerland Ahead of Ex-Prince Andrew's Arrest: Report

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty; DAVID HARTLEY/Shutterstock NEED TO KNOW Princess Eugenie was reportedly se...

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What Trump's first Board of Peace summit signals about Gaza's future

Billions of dollars earmarked for reconstruction and the promise of an international stabilization force for the destroyedGaza Strip:Those were just two of the promises to emerge from theinaugural summitof PresidentDonald Trump's Board of Peace.

"We will help Gaza," Trump said at the meeting in Washington on Thursday, attended by representatives of more than 40 countries, including several heads of state.

"We will straighten it out. We will make it successful. We will make it peaceful. And we will do things like that in other spots," he said.

Billions in reconstruction

While Trump initially pitched his board as an entity to oversee peace efforts in Gaza, he has sincedramatically expanded its remitas a United Nations-style organization capable of addressing major conflicts around the world.

Some 27 countries have committed to joining, with Hungarian Prime MinisterViktor Orbán and Argentine President Javier Mileiamong the world leaders attending. So far,key U.S. allies, including the Britain, France, Norway and Sweden, have declined, some citing concerns the body risks undermining the United Nations' role in peacekeeping efforts around the world.

Despite the board's broadened scope, Gaza's future remained in focus at Thursday's summit, with Trump announcing that members had committed at least $7 billion for reconstruction of the shattered enclave, with funding promised from countries including Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait.

Trump separately announced that the U.S. was also committed to dedicating $10 billion to the Board of Peace initiative, though it was not clear where exactly that funding would be allotted.

The billions of dollars earmarked for reconstruction represent a "small fraction" of the roughly $70 billion that ajoint estimate from the U.N., the European Union and the World Bank said late last year would be required to rebuild Gaza, according to Julie Norman of Chatham House, a London-based foreign policy think tank.

More than 72,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in the enclave, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, since Israel launched its military offensive. The war followed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage.

More than 80% of buildings, including schools, hospitals and homes, are estimated to have been destroyed in the territory, the United Nations Development Programme said last year.

The UNDP's Special Representative for the Palestinians Jaco Cillerssaid that at least $20 billion would be neededover an initial three-year period and the rest would be required over a longer time frame.

"I don't think we should be too optimistic about their ability to change things on the ground very soon," Norman, an associate fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Program, said ahead of Thursday's summit.

A central focus of reconstruction efforts when they do get underway will be the rebuilding of Rafah. The city in the southern Gaza Strip bordering Egypt has long been a lifeline for Palestinians and a key portal to the outside world, with a video played at Thursday's event outlining a three-year goal to rebuild it.

The plan includes building 100,000 homes for 500,000 residents, plus $5 billion in infrastructure funding, he said. Eventually that number would grow to 400,000 homes with more than $30 billion in spending on infrastructure.

Billionaire Yakir Gabay described plans to develop Gaza's coastline into "a new Mediterranean Riviera with 200 hotels and potential islands," echoing Trump's past calls to turn the enclave into the "Riviera of the Middle East." Gabay, the son of senior Israeli officials, is set to be on the Gaza Executive Board and is leading a reconstruction bid.

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Gabay said the plan would be "subject to a full disarmament of Hamas," a key stipulation and sticking point in ceasefire negotiations as Hamas has not agreed to hand over its weapons. It is not clear when disarmament might happen if at all — and equally unclear whether the stabilization force would be deployed prior to demilitarization.

Israel made clear it wanted full disarmament, including for Hamas to hand over "all of" its weapons, and the dismantlement of the underground tunnel network and weapons production facilities.

Stabilization force

Details of plans for a U.N.-authorized international stabilization force in Gaza were also laid out Thursday, with countries including Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania committing to dedicating several thousand troops to the effort.

Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to dedicating as many as 8,000 troops or more, with U.S. Army Gen. Jasper Jeffers, tasked with leading the force, saying the Southeast Asian nation had been offered and accepted the position of deputy commander.

It was not clear how many troops other countries committed to the force in addition to the thousands committed by Indonesia. Morocco, for instance, did not provide a number but said it would deploy high ranking military officers to join the force, in addition to deploying police officers and training officers from Gaza. Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan also committed to help train police in the enclave, Jeffers said.

Questions and concerns

While Thursday's summit outlined broad next steps forward, some said it did little to address the overall concerns over the board's potential to undermine the U.N. Human rights experts and others have condemned the lack of Palestinian representation on the board.

"The lack of Palestinians and Palestinian input and the ways in which they're approaching it as though this is some kind of business test case just shows you how problematic it is," Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer and former adviser to Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organization, said in a phone interview Friday.

A number of countries have said they would not join the initiative due to the lack of Palestinian presence on most of the bodies created alongside the Board of Peace. A technocratic body will be led by Palestinian official Dr. Ali Shaath and is expected to oversee day-to-day administration in the enclave.

Shaath, chief commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, reminded those gathered that the conditions on the ground were "extremely difficult."

"Large parts of Gaza are severely damaged, destroyed. Actually, humanitarian needs are acute," Shaath said. "Law and order remain fragile. This is not normal operating environment, Mr. President, which is precisely why discipline and privatization matter."

Buttu said that without resolving long-standing Palestinian grievances, such as a lack of an independent state, freedom of movement and the tens of thousands of killed and injured, a true regeneration of Gaza would be impossible.

"This is really an issue about politics and about the lives and futures of people that can't be resolved through a business model," she added.

Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security expert from King's College London, was less skeptical, and said that while the Board of Peace was a flawed project, it was also an "imperfect tool that can still be useful."

The board lacked a "clean design" and carried "real political baggage," he said, noting the reluctance of key U.S. allies to join the initiative, while saying that for those who do, the calculation was largely "transactional."

But, Krieg said, "it may be the only bridge available that has a chance of moving Gaza away from perpetual war."

byDonna Devi

in

February 20, 2026

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