In a significant diplomatic development, the Israeli government has formally expressed objections to the proposed membership structure of the Gaza Executive Board, a subsidiary body operating under President Donald Trump’s newly established ‘Board of Peace’ initiative. The controversy emerged following the White House’s Friday announcement revealing Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari representation among the panel’s key members.
The Board of Peace, conceptualized as an oversight mechanism for post-war governance in Palestinian territories, continues to take shape with invitations extended to numerous international leaders. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Argentine President Javier Milei, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have all received formal requests to participate as founding members. While Carney and Milei have indicated acceptance, Cairo remains in deliberation regarding its involvement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement clarifying that ‘the announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.’ Consequently, Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister has been directed to initiate discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding these concerns.
The Board’s executive leadership includes prominent figures such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, alongside World Bank President Ajay Banga and billionaire financier Marc Rowan. Trump has assumed chairmanship of the overarching body, which aims to address governance capacity-building, reconstruction efforts, investment attraction, and large-scale funding mobilization in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian technocratic committee commenced its inaugural meeting in Cairo under Board of Peace supervision, attended by Kushner. The initiative faces criticism from Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which asserts the board ‘serves Israel’s interests,’ while Washington confirms the Gaza plan has progressed to its second phase—transitioning from ceasefire implementation to Hamas disarmament.
Complementing these developments, Trump has appointed US Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead the International Stabilization Force, tasked with providing security and training a new police force to succeed Hamas in Gaza.