Israel objects to line-up of Gaza governing body appointments: PM's office

Israel objects to uncoordinated Gaza committee

Israel on Saturday objected to the composition of the Palestinian committee of technocrats intended to govern post-war Gaza, which held its first meeting in Cairo this week.

“The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter,” the statement added, referring to the 15-person committee headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza began to take shape on Saturday. Leaders from Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, and Canada have reportedly been asked to join the panel, which also includes Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Trump has declared himself chair of the board, which is tasked with overseeing economic development in Gaza following more than two years of Israeli bombardment.

The Palestinian committee’s meeting in Cairo was attended by Kushner, who has partnered with Witkoff on the issue for months. In Canada, a senior aide to Prime Minister Mark Carney said he planned to accept Trump’s invitation, while Turkey’s presidential office confirmed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been asked to become a “founding member” of the board. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was reviewing the request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to participate, and Argentine President Javier Milei posted on X that it would be “an honor” to join the initiative.

Blair, in a statement to AFP, expressed gratitude for the appointment, saying, “I thank President Trump for his leadership in establishing the Board of Peace and am honored to be appointed to its Executive Board.” Blair remains a controversial figure in the Middle East due to his role in the 2003 Iraq invasion but has extensive experience on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as the former representative of the Middle East Quartet.

The White House said the Board of Peace will focus on governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, and capital mobilisation. Additional members of the board, including World Bank President Ajay Banga, financier Marc Rowan, and US National Security Council aide Robert Gabriel, have also been named. Trump has simultaneously created a second “Gaza executive board” in a more advisory capacity, though details of its membership remain unclear.

The development comes as Washington moves the Gaza plan into a second phase, shifting from implementing the ceasefire to disarming Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered a massive Israeli offensive. Trump named US Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead the International Stabilization Force, which will provide security in Gaza and train a new police force to succeed Hamas. Jeffers previously oversaw monitoring of the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire and operations against Hezbollah militants.

Shaath, a Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister, was appointed to lead the governing committee. Trump, who has previously suggested transforming Gaza into a Riviera-style destination, has since distanced himself from proposals to forcibly relocate the population, emphasising economic redevelopment.