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 under the 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. Also included are U.S. Special Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner—Trump’s son-in-law—private equity executive Mark Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and U.S. National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel. President Trump will serve as the board’s chairman.
This board is expected to play a temporary supervisory role over Gaza, including overseeing the recovery and reconstruction process after the war ends.
The White House stated that each member will be assigned specific tasks crucial to stabilizing Gaza and ensuring its long-term success.
On Thursday, Trump said the board’s formation represents the gathering of the greatest and most honorable committee ever assembled, at any time or place, adding that more 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 Middle East Envoy—the Quartet consisting of the U.S., European Union, Russia, and the United Nations.
In that role, Blair focused on economic development in Palestine and creating conditions to advance the two-state solution.
Previously, Blair participated in high-level talks on Gaza’s future with the U.S. and other partners; in August, he attended a White House meeting with Trump that Witkoff described as “extensive discussions.”
However, in September, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that Blair’s involvement in Gaza could raise questions due to his role in the Iraq War, though he acknowledged Blair’s significant contribution to 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 development follows the announcement of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to manage Gaza’s daily affairs post-war, chaired by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister.
The White House also stated that Nikolay Mladenov, former UN Special Middle East Envoy from Bulgaria, will act 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 officers. U.S. Army Brigadier General Jasper Jeffers will command the ISF to ensure security, maintain peace, and foster a sustainable environment free from terrorism.
Although the U.S. peace plan took effect in October and has entered its second phase, Gaza’s future—including the fate of over 2.1 million Palestinians living there—remains uncertain.
:BBC
Click to read more aboutGaza