A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches across the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. (Photo: AP) The White House has announced the members of a new international body that will oversee the temporary governance of Gaza under a plan put forward by the US President Donald Trump.
According to a White House statement, the “Board of Peace” will include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump will chair the board under the plan unveiled late last year.
Reuters said Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed in October to Trump’s proposal, which came alongside a ceasefire that remains fragile. The plan outlines a transitional period in which Gaza would be run by a Palestinian technocratic body, overseen by the international board.
Makeshift tents shelter displaced Palestinians stand among buildings destroyed by Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City. (Photo: AP)
Other members named by the White House include billionaire investor Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser. Nickolay Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy, has been appointed as high representative for Gaza. The statement did not spell out the exact duties of each member.
The announcement has drawn criticism from rights experts, who have previously said that a US-led board supervising Gaza’s governance resembles a colonial structure. Blair’s inclusion has also faced criticism because of his role in the Iraq war, Reuters reported.
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The White House also said Major General Jasper Jeffers, a former US special operations commander, would lead an International Stabilisation Force in Gaza. A UN Security Council resolution passed in mid-November authorised the board and partner countries to set up the force.
Nouzha Owkal, cleans her tent after it was damaged by a storm at a displacement camp in Zawaida, central Gaza Strip. (Photo: AP)
Despite the ceasefire that began in October, Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violations. Reuters reported that more than 440 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce began.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since late 2023 has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced the entire population of the enclave. Israel says it acted in self-defence after Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in October 2023.