London, Paris and Berlin are all expected to play a key role in ensuring that Middle Eastern powers know they have the support of European countries in moving toward a ceasefire.
The trio of countries known as the “E3” is likely to argue for a representative on the “Board of Peace,” the body that will oversee the transitional governance of Gaza by a Palestinian committee.
When he announced his 20-point peace plan, Trump said he himself would chair the Board of Peace. The only other member he named was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was closely involved in drafting the U.S.-led deal.
British officials stressed that Blair had played a valuable role and had liaised regularly with Keir Starmer’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, but that he had not been put forward as a broker by the U.K. government.
One senior British government aide, granted anonymity to speak frankly, said that “there are issues” with Blair in the eyes of other partners in the region as a result of his role in the Iraq war and “there will inevitably be other individuals who have backing of partners and those names have not been put forward yet.”
The E3 would back their own representative on the board, the same aide added.