Sir Tony Blair will oversee the future of the Gaza strip as part of the “greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled”, Donald Trump has said.
Under the US president’s peace plan, the territory will be governed by an apolitical, transitional Palestinian government, overseen by a Board of Peace.
Now the former Labour prime minister has been named as part of the body’s “founding executive board” alongside several high-profile names from the Trump White House.
Among them will be US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who negotiated the peace plan, and Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy for the Middle East.
The other members named are the billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga, and US deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
In a statement, the White House said each would oversee a “defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success”.
Mr Trump, who will act as chairman of the Board of Peace, was effusive about its membership in a post on Truth Social.
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He wrote: “I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place.”
Sir Tony, Mr Rubio, and Mr Kushner were also named among the members of a Gaza Executive Board.
This body is charged with supporting “effective governance” and the delivery of services “that advance peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Gaza”.
Meanwhile, Ali Sha’ath, described by the Trump administration as “a widely respected technocratic leader”, will head up a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
In this role, the White House said, he will “oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily life in Gaza, while laying the foundation for long-term, self-sustaining governance”.
Also named was Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN Middle East envoy, who has been appointed High Representative for Gaza, acting as the “on-the-ground link between the Board of Peace and the NCAG”, according to the announcement.
While Major General Jasper Jeffers will command an “International Stabilization Force”, responsible for security operations, demilitarisation, and safe delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials, the White House said.
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Gaza has been racked with conflict since October 2023 when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel.
The attack, which claimed the lives of some 1,200 people with 251 others taken hostage, was soon followed by an Israeli offensive on Gaza, which lasted two years and killed a further 70,000 people, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
A fragile ceasefire came into effect in October, but Gaza continues to see outbursts of deadly violence, with Israel and Hamas both accusing each other of violating the peace.
