Trump has appointed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair as members of the Gaza Peace Board, part of a plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.
A White House statement on Friday said the Founding Executive Board of the Gaza Peace Board will include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair. Other members include Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East; Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law; Mark Rowe, a private equity executive; Ajay Banga, World Bank president; and Robert Gabriel, U.S. National Security Advisor. President Trump will serve as the board's chairman.
The board is expected to have a role overseeing Gaza on a temporary basis, including managing the recovery and reconstruction process after the war concludes.
The White House stated that each member will be assigned specific tasks critical to stabilizing Gaza and ensuring its long-term success.
On Thursday, Trump said the formation of this board brings together the most distinguished and honored committee ever assembled, at any time or place, and noted that additional members will be announced in the coming weeks.
Sir Tony Blair served as UK Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007 and led the UK into the Iraq war in 2003. After leaving office, he served as the Quartet's Special Envoy for the Middle East, representing the U.S., European Union, Russia, and United Nations.
In that role, Blair focused on economic development in Palestine and creating conditions to advance the two-state solution.
Previously, Blair has participated in high-level discussions on Gaza's future with the U.S. and other partners; in August, he attended a meeting at the White House with Trump, which Witkoff described as a “very comprehensive” discussion.
However, in September, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that Blair's involvement in Gaza might raise questions due to his role in the Iraq war, although he acknowledged Blair’s important role in negotiating the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland. If Blair applies his diplomatic and administrative skills effectively, it could be beneficial.
This move follows the announcement of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), established to manage Gaza’s daily affairs after the war, chaired by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister.
Additionally, the White House stated that Nikolay Mladenov, former UN Special Envoy for the Middle East from Bulgaria, will serve as the board’s representative on the ground in Gaza, coordinating with the NCAG.
Trump’s plan also includes deploying an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to Gaza to train and support vetted Palestinian police. Major General Jasper Jeffers of the U.S. military will command the force to ensure security, maintain peace, and create a sustainable, terror-free environment.
Although the U.S. peace plan has been in effect since October and has entered its second phase, Gaza’s future, including the fate of over 2.1 million Palestinians living there, remains uncertain.
.: Source :BBC
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