The White House has announced names of the so-called “Board of Peace” that will, under President Donald Trump’s plan, supervise the temporary governance of Gaza.
The names included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the White House said.
Trump is the chair of the board, according to his plan revealed late last year.
The committee’s leader, Ali Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza, pledged to get to work quickly to improve conditions.
He expects reconstruction and recovery to take about three years and plans to focus first on immediate needs, including shelter.
Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off in October on the Trump administration’s plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international board.
Rights experts: ‘Board resembles colonial structure’
The board also includes private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, the White House said.
The former UN Middle East envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, will have the role of high representative for Gaza, the White House said.
It is unclear what the responsibilities of each member will be.
Many rights experts and advocates have previously said that Mr Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s governance resembled a colonial structure.
Major General Jasper Jeffers, a former US special operations commander, was appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House said.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorised the “Board of Peace” and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violations in Gaza, where more than 440 Palestinians, including more than 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the start of the truce in October.
Israel’s assault on Gaza since late 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza’s entire population.
Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide.
Israel has said it took action in self-defence after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in their October 2023 attack.
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
