The White House announced on Friday the names of members of the “Peace Council” that will oversee, under President Donald Trump’s plan, the temporary administration of the Gaza Strip, which continues to witness deadly violence despite a fragile ceasefire that came into effect in October.
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The announced members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The plan, unveiled in October, indicates that Trump will chair the council.
Israel and Hamas have approved Trump’s plan, which stipulates the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic body under the supervision of what has been termed an international “Peace Council,” with the aim of overseeing the administration of Gaza during a transitional period.
The White House statement did not specify the responsibilities of each member, and the list does not include any Palestinians.
The White House said that additional members are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
It added that the council also includes billionaire Marc Rowan, a private equity executive; Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group; and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser. Former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov will assume the role of High Representative for Gaza.
The White House also announced the appointment of Major General Jasper Jeffers, former commander of U.S. Special Operations, as head of the International Stabilization Force. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November authorized the council and cooperating states to form such a force in Gaza.
In addition, the White House announced the formation of an “Executive Council for Gaza” comprising 11 members, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakkir Gabay, along with several members of the Peace Council.
The White House said this additional council will support the office of Mladenov and the Palestinian technocratic authority whose details were announced earlier this week.
Reuters
