Israel Objects to Gaza Governance Panel Under Trump’s Board of Peace

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Israel said on Saturday it objected to the composition of a newly announced Gaza governance panel operating under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, citing a lack of coordination and policy differences over post-war arrangements in the Palestinian territory.

The panel, known as the Gaza Executive Board, was unveiled by the White House on Friday and includes Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and a Qatari official—appointments that prompted immediate pushback from the Israeli government.

The Board of Peace itself began to take shape on Saturday, as leaders of Egypt, Türkiye, Argentina, and Canada were formally invited to join the initiative.

Trump has declared himself chair of the Board of Peace, which is tasked with overseeing post-war governance and reconstruction in Gaza, much of which has been devastated by nearly two years of Israeli bombardment following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

The US president has promoted a controversial vision centered on economic redevelopment of the territory.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the announcement of the Gaza Executive Board “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”

It added that Netanyahu had instructed the foreign minister to raise Israel’s concerns directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The US president has appointed several senior figures to both the Board of Peace and the Gaza Executive Board, including Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Blair confirmed his appointment in a statement to AFP, thanking Trump for his leadership and saying he was honored to serve.

The diplomatic moves came as a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with administering Gaza under the Board of Peace’s oversight held its first meeting in Cairo, attended by Kushner, according to officials familiar with the process.

International reactions to the initiative were mixed. In Canada, a senior aide to Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa intended to accept Trump’s invitation. In Türkiye, a spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed he had been asked to become a “founding member” of the board.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was “studying” a request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join, while Argentine President Javier Milei said it would be “an honor” to participate.

According to the White House, the Board of Peace will focus on governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, attracting investment, and mobilizing large-scale funding.

Other members include World Bank President Ajay Banga, US financier Marc Rowan, and Robert Gabriel, a close Trump aide serving on the US National Security Council.

The initiative has drawn criticism from Palestinian factions. The Islamic Jihad group said the board’s composition served Israeli interests and was shaped according to “Israeli criteria,” rejecting it as illegitimate.

Washington has said the Gaza plan has entered a second phase, shifting from enforcing a ceasefire to disarming Hamas. On Friday, Trump appointed US Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead an International Stabilization Force tasked with providing security in Gaza and training a new police force to replace Hamas-run structures. Jeffers previously oversaw ceasefire monitoring between Israel and Lebanon in late 2024.

Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath has been named to head the governing committee. Trump, a former real estate developer, has previously floated the idea of transforming Gaza into a resort-style destination, though he has since backed away from proposals involving the forced displacement of its population.