The White House on Friday announced some members of the Gaza Board of Peace who include President Donald Trump as chairman, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and former UK prime minister Tony Blair.
The move is part of a push towards carrying out Mr Trump's 20-point road map for the Palestinian enclave. The board will oversee reconstruction in Gaza following two years of war between Hamas and Israel.
The other members are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, World Bank chief Ajay Banga, investor Marc Rowan and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel. The White House described them as “leaders with experience across diplomacy, development, infrastructure, and economic strategy”.
A former deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority, Dr Ali Shaath, was announced as the head of the Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), responsible for restoration of services, rebuilding of institutions and laying foundations for long-term governance. The White House described him as "widely respected for his pragmatic, technocratic leadership and understanding of Gaza’s institutional realities".
Dr Shaath is believed to be in Cairo, where he is currently meeting the other technocratic group's members and representatives of mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the US.
In addition, UAE-based Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov will serve as the High Representative for Gaza, with chief executive of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute Aryeh Lightstone and White House Gaza adviser Josh Gruenbaum as senior advisers to the board.
“Each executive board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation,” the White House said.
A separate executive board serving the Office of the High Representative and the NCAG has also been established.
Mr Witkoff, Mr Kushner, Mr Blair, Mr Rowan and Mr Mladenov will also serve on the body, in addition to UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation Reem Al Hashimy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi, Egyptian intelligence chief Gen Hassan Rashad, and UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction co-ordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag.
Mr Blair said on Saturday that he was "honoured" to be part of the team and paid tribute to Mr Trump's efforts.
He said the president’s 20-point plan for Gaza was an “extraordinary achievement” and that implementing it will take “enormous commitment and hard work”.
Other members will be announced in the coming weeks, the White House said. Mr Trump has previously said that “kings, presidents and prime ministers” are eager to be on the board.
Maj Gen Jasper Jeffers of US Central Command has been appointed as head of the International Stabilisation Force, leading security operations, supporting demilitarisation efforts, and enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.
Some states view putting boots on the ground as a de facto occupation, or fear they may end up finding themselves in direct conflict with Hamas.
"The United States remains fully committed to supporting this transitional framework, working in close partnership with Israel, key Arab nations, and the international community to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan," the White House said. "The President calls on all parties to co-operate fully with the NCAG, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilisation Force to ensure the swift and successful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan."
The announcement comes after the US announced the launch of the second phase of the Gaza peace plan this week, despite some of the criteria of the first stage not being fulfilled.
The second phase establishes a “transitional technocratic Palestinian administration” – the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza – and begins the full demilitarisation and reconstruction of the enclave.
A ceasefire in October halted two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The war began when Hamas and other groups launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting around 240. Israel immediately began a large-scale campaign in Gaza that levelled most of the coastal enclave and has killed at least 71,000 people. The UN and several countries have called Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide.
