Trump Names Board to Oversee Gaza, Drawing Israeli Complaint

President Trump has unveiled the first roster for a new international body he says will direct the rebuilding of Gaza, an announcement that immediately drew public pushback from Israel. The White House on Friday named Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to an executive "Board of Peace" that Trump will chair, the Washington Post reports. Without giving details, per the AP, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the US decision "was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy."

A separate "Gaza Executive Board" is to do much of the work, the administration said. That panel will include Kushner, Witkoff, and Blair, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi. Israel has long criticized the roles of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called their inclusion a "reward to Hamas" and a threat to Israeli security. The board includes an Israeli businessman but no Israeli officials, per the New York Times, and no Palestinians. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called the plan a "diplomatic failure" that hands influence in Gaza to Qatar and Turkey, while far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged preparations for renewed fighting to "destroy Hamas." Palestinian activist Ziad Amr argued the board would entrench policies that block Palestinian self-determination.

Blair thanked Trump for his leadership and said the goal was a Gaza rebuilt on new terms while preventing a repeat of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, in which Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took roughly 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Trump's invitation letters to prospective members indicated the board may be involved in conflicts beyond Gaza, the AP points out. The "Board of Peace," he wrote, "will be established as a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration"—possibly providing an alternative to the United Nations as a mediator. "This is a US shortcut in an attempt to wield its veto power on world affairs," said Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group.