WASHINGTON
The White House has released the names of the members who will be part of the senior executive working with his new “Board of Peace” for Gaza. With the US president as chair, the founding “Executive Board” will oversee the work of a committee of technocrats tasked with the temporary governance of Gaza–and its reconstruction.
Each member is expected to be in charge of a portfolio that will be “critical to Gaza’s stabilisation”, the White House has said. But it is not yet clear who will be responsible for which priorities.
There will also be a separate “Gaza Executive Board”–responsible for overseeing all on-the-ground work of yet another administrative group, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
Meanwhile, the Board of Peace is expected to sit above these two executive bodies and comprise a number of world leaders.No women and no Palestinians have been announced so far on the Executive Board, but the White House said additional members will be announced over the coming weeks.
Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair had long been talked about as a potential member of Trump’s “Board of Peace”, with the US president confirming back in September that he had expressed an interest in joining the body.
The former Labour Party leader was the UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and took the country into the Iraq War in 2003, a decision which means some may view his presence on the board as controversial.
After leaving office, he served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers–the United Nations, European Union, US and Russia–from 2007 to 2015. Sir Tony is the only founding member of the executive board who is not a US citizen. He previously described Trump’s plans for Gaza as the “best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering”.
In a statement, Sir Tony said he was “honoured” to be named on the executive board, and thanked president Trump for his leadership in establishing the group.
e will also serve on the Gaza Executive Board. Getty Images An image of the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, speaking into a microphone while wearing a navy suit with a red tie.As US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is central to the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy.
Before Trump’s return to office, Rubio had spoken out against a ceasefire in Gaza, saying that he wanted Israel “to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on”. But he has since praised the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal signed in October as the “best” and “only” plan.
Also in October, Rubio criticised a move by the Israeli parliament towards annexation of the occupied West Bank. Reuters An image of the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, speaking in front of the American Flag visible to the left.
Reuters US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, a real estate magnate and golf partner to Trump, will also serve on the Gaza Executive Board.
EPA An image of Jared Kushner dressed in a black suit with a white shirt staring off into the distance. EPA Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, has also played a key role in the Trump administration’s foreign policy negotiations.
At a talk at Harvard University in 2024, Kushner said “Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable… if people would focus on building up livelihoods.” There is significant overlap between the two senior boards, with Kushner, Witkoff and Sir Tony appearing on both.
