The government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has objected to US President Donald Trump’s selection of members for the proposed Gaza "Board of Peace," stating that the appointments were made without coordination with Israel and run contrary to Israeli policy.
"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 Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter," the Israeli PM office said in a post on X.
PM Netanyahu has directed Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar to express Israel's concerns to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Leaders for the Gaza Board of Peace
The executive committee announced by the White House on Friday does not include any Israeli government official, but features Israeli billionaire businessman Yakir Gabay among its members. The panel also comprises several close confidants of US President Donald Trump, a former British prime minister, a senior American military figure, and top officials from multiple Middle Eastern governments.
According to the White House, the executive committee will implement the vision of a Trump-led "Board of Peace," the full membership of which has yet to be disclosed. Alongside this, the administration unveiled a separate Palestinian committee tasked with managing Gaza’s day-to-day affairs under the oversight of the executive committee.
Named members of the executive committee include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.
The committee also includes representatives from key regional stakeholders, including a Qatari diplomat and Egypt’s intelligence chief, both nations having played central roles in mediating the ceasefire, as well as a cabinet minister from the United Arab Emirates and Turkey's foreign minister.
US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza
Earlier this week, the Trump administration said that the US-backed ceasefire framework for Gaza has entered a challenging second phase. This stage includes the formation of a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of the conflict-ravaged territory.
The ceasefire came into force on October 10. Its initial phase centred on the release of all remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, alongside a significant increase in humanitarian assistance and a partial pullback of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in Gaza after Hamas, also voiced objections to the composition of the proposed executive committee, alleging that it had been drawn up in line with Israeli "specifications."
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