The Trump administration has formally established a high-profile ‘Board of Peace’ to spearhead Gaza’s stabilization and reconstruction efforts, naming US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair as founding members. The White House announced on Friday that this board constitutes a central component of President Trump’s 20-point roadmap to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The founding executive board will be chaired by President Trump himself, with additional members including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, private equity executive Marc Rowan, World Bank chief Ajay Banga, and US National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel. According to the official statement, each member will oversee specific portfolios ‘critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success.’
This development follows the creation of a separate 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which will handle day-to-day governance under the board’s supervision. Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, will lead the NCAG, while Bulgarian politician and former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov will serve as the board’s ground representative in Gaza.
The comprehensive plan also involves deploying an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) under US Major General Jasper Jeffers to train vetted Palestinian police forces and establish security conditions. Although the US peace initiative entered its second phase in October, implementing ceasefire agreements and partial Israeli withdrawals, the situation remains precarious with both sides reporting violations and ongoing casualties.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to be dire according to UN assessments, emphasizing the urgent need for unimpeded aid delivery. The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, has resulted in over 71,260 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza health officials.