Washington, United States. The White House said it has named some members of a “Board of Peace” intended to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza during a fragile ceasefire in place since October.
Board members and structure
The White House said the board’s members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan the White House unveiled in October.
Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off on the plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international board and that the board will supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period.
The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the “founding Executive board.” The names announced do not include any Palestinians. The White House said more members will be announced over the coming weeks.
Additional appointments
The White House said the board will also include private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser. It added that Nickolay Mladenov, a former U.N. Middle East envoy, will be the high representative for Gaza.
Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, a U.S. special operations commander, was appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House said. It added that a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November authorized the board and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza.
Gaza Executive Board
The White House also named an 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” that it said will include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Sigrid Kaag, the United Arab Emirates minister for international cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay, along with some members of the executive board.
The White House said this additional board will support Mladenov’s office and the Palestinian technocratic body, whose details were announced this week.
Ceasefire and reported casualties
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed during the truce.
What do you think should be the role of international bodies in supervising Gaza’s transitional governance?
