The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has objected to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ executive members appointed to lead reconstruction of post-war Palestine.
On Friday, Trump appointed himself the chairman of the board and nominated some others entrusted to oversee the transitional government in the war-torn Palestinian territory.
The members of the ‘founding executive board’ include US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and World Bank President, Ajay Banga.
Additionally, Turkish and Qatari officials are likely to sit on the Gaza executive board nominated by the White House to “support effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services that advance peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Gaza”.
Blair, Kushner, and Witkoff, along with Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat, Ali Al-Thawadi, and other officials, will head the Gaza executive board.
Netanyahu’s office has directed his Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, to discuss Israel’s reservations with Rubio.
Also Read: Trump appoints himself chairman of Gaza’s ‘Board of Peace’
“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,” read a statement issued from Netanyahu’s office.
Israel has also raised objections to the inclusion of members linked to the Palestinian resistance group on the board, saying such inclusions “came in accordance with Israeli criteria and were designed to serve the interests of the occupation, in a clear indicator of pre-existing bad intentions over the implementation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement.”
Türkiye and Qatar have been critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that prompted Tel Aviv to launch a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip. Therefore, chances of establishing lasting peace in Gaza will depend on coordination among the partner nations that comprise the Board of Peace.
The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. Since then, Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire deal even as Israel continues to restrict aid coming into the Gaza Strip and conduct attacks, while Hamas refuses disarmament of the group.
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