Trump gives Tony Blair ‘critical’ new role with 7-word endorsement | World | News

Former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair was elected as a founding member of the Gaza Peace Board. Sir Tony will take on this key role alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump will chair the board created by the US administration within the scope of the 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas. The plan should temporarily supervise the operation of Gaza and manage its reconstruction.

The founding board will also include Marc Rowan, head of a private equity firm, World Bank chief Ajay Banga and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel. Each will oversee “a defined portfolio critical to the stability and long-term success of Gaza,” according to the White House expression. The step was approved by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), which “welcomes the establishment of the Peace Board.”

The board is expected to oversee the development of Gaza’s governance capacity, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale financing and capital mobilization.

On Thursday, Trump gave a seven-word endorsement calling it “the largest and most prestigious board ever assembled.”

Sir Tony was part of high-level talks with the US and other parties on the future of Gaza. In August, he attended a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the region, which Witkoff described as “very comprehensive.”

Sir Tony was UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and was a key figure in brokering the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to end the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He also brought Britain 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). In this role, he focused on bringing economic development to Palestine and creating the necessary conditions to move towards a two-state solution.

The White House also announced the establishment of the National Committee on Gaza Administration (NCAG), a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with managing the day-to-day administration of post-war Gaza.