Blair and Rubio among names on Gaza ‘Board of Peace’
The Trump administration selected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Sir Tony Blair as two of the founding members of the “Peace Board” it created for Gaza.
In the statement made by the White House, it was stated that Trump’s Middle East ambassador Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also be on the “founding board”. expression on Friday.
Trump will serve as chairman of the board of directors, which forms part of the board of directors 20-point plan To end the war between Israel and Hamas.
He is expected to temporarily supervise the operation of Gaza and manage its reconstruction.
The founding board also includes Marc Rowan, head of a private equity firm, World Bank chief Ajay Banga and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
The White House statement stated that each member will have a portfolio that is “critical to the stability and long-term success of Gaza.”
In his statement on Thursday, Trump stated that the board was created, describing it as “the largest and most prestigious board ever assembled at any time, anywhere.”
The White House said other members of the board will be named in the coming weeks.
Sir Tony was prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and led the UK into the Iraq War in 2003. After leaving office, he served as the Middle East envoy of the Quartet of international powers (US, EU, Russia and UN).
This follows the announcement of a separate 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), tasked with managing the day-to-day administration of post-war Gaza.
Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the occupied West Bank that are not under Israeli control, will chair the new committee.
The statement also stated that Bulgarian politician and former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov will be the board’s representative working with NCAG in Gaza.
Trump’s plan also calls for an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be deployed in Gaza to train and support Palestinian police forces, and the White House statement states that US Major General Jasper Jeffers will lead this force to “ensure security, maintain peace, and create an enduring environment free of terrorism.”
The White House said a separate “Gaza board” has been created to help support the administration and includes some of the same names as the founding board and other appointees.
The US peace plan went into effect in October and has since entered its second phase, but there is still an ongoing situation. Lack of clarity on Gaza’s future and the 2.1 million Palestinians living there.
In the first phase, Hamas and Israel reached an agreement in October on a ceasefire, as well as a hostage-prisoner exchange, a partial Israeli withdrawal, and an increase in aid.
Earlier this week, Witkoff said the second phase would be the reconstruction and complete demilitarization of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
“The United States expects Hamas to fully comply with its obligations,” he warned, noting that these include returning the body of the last Israeli hostage. “Failure to do so will result in serious consequences.”
But the ceasefire is fragile; both sides accuse each other of repeated violations.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, almost 450 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli strikes took effect; The Israeli army announced that three of its own soldiers were killed in attacks by Palestinian groups in the same period.
Humanitarian conditions in the region also remain dire, according to the UN, which underlines the need for the unrestricted flow of critical supplies.
