Ex-British PM To Indian-origin Banker: Trump’s Top Picks For Gaza “Peace Board”
Many rights experts and advocates have previously said that Trump overseeing a board to oversee a foreign territory’s governance resembled a colonial structure, while Blair’s involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq War.
The White House on Friday announced the names of the so-called “Board of Peace” that will, under President Donald Trump’s plan, oversee the temporary governance of Gaza, which continues to see lethal violence despite a fragile ceasefire that went into effect in October.
The names included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,Trump special messenger Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House said. Trump is the chair of the board, according to his plan revealed late last year.
Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off in October on Trump’s plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by an international so-called “Board of Peace” that is meant to supervise Gaza‘s governance for a transitional period.
Ex-British PM To Indian-origin Banker:
Trump Top Picks For Gaza “Peace Board” Many rights experts and advocates have previously said that Trump overseeing a board to oversee a foreign territory’s governance resembled a colonial structure, while Blair’s involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq War.
The White House statement did not laying out the responsibilities of each member.
Many rights experts and advocates have previously said that Trump supervising a board to oversee a foreign territory’s governance resembled a colonial structure, while Blair’s involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq War.
Major General Jasper Jeffers, a former U.S. Special Operations Commander, was appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House said. A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the “Board of Peace” and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where since the start of the truce in October, over 440 Palestinians, including more than 100 children, and three Israeli troops have been reported killed.
Israel’s assault on Gaza since late 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza’s entire population. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN investigation say it amounts to genocide. Israel has said it took action in self-defense after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in their October 2023 attack.
How many times has Israel violated the ceasefire?
Since the proclamation of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on October 10, 2025, Israel has violated the agreement with near-daily attacks, killing hundreds of people.
Israel violated the ceasefire agreement at least 1,193 times from October 10, 2025, to January 9, 2026, through the continuity of attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings, the Government Media Office in Gaza reports.
According to an analysis by Al Jazeera, Israel has attacked Gaza on 82 out of the past 97 days of the ceasefire up to January 14, meaning there were only 15 days in this period when no violent attacks, deaths or injuries were reported.
Despite continuing attacks, the US insists that the “ceasefire” is still holding.
The White House has released the names of the members who will form the Trump administration’s 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.
Every member of the executive board is expected to be in charge of a portfolio that will be “critical to Gaza‘s stabilization”, the White House added. But it is not yet clear who will be responsible for which priorities. No women have yet been announced to this board.
Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair had long been spoken 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 Labor Party leader was the UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and took the nation 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”.
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 could 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 criticized a move by the Israeli parliament toward annexation of the occupied West Bank.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, a real estate magnate and golf partner to Trump, will also be on the board.
Earlier this month, Witkoff announced the start of phase two of Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, adding that it would see the reconstruction and full demilitarisation of Gaza – including the disarmament of Hamas.
He added that he expects Hamas to “fulfill fully with its obligations” under the deal, or face “serious consequences”.
Witkoff has been a central figure in US-led attempts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, including holding a five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in December.
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