Israel's Response to Trump's Gaza 'Board of Peace' Selections Intensifies

Mon Jan 19 2026 12:56:50 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As President Trump's administration unveils its 'Board of Peace' to oversee Gaza, Israel expresses concerns over the committee's composition and its lack of coordination with Israeli officials. Key figures including Jared Kushner and international leaders are part of the panel yet Israel feels sidelined in the discussions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting with advisers after the U.S. announced the inaugural members of a 'Board of Peace' for Gaza, which includes influential figures like Turkey's foreign minister and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Netanyahu's office criticized the move, arguing it was not coordinated with Israel. Meanwhile, concerns about the committee's lack of Palestinian representation and its implications for Israeli security have arisen, amidst continuing humanitarian crises in Gaza.

Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu has convened a meeting with his top advisers to discuss US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' for Gaza, after Israel said it was not included in talks about the makeup of one of the board's lower bodies.

The US on Saturday named the first members of the Gaza Executive Board - including Turkey's foreign minister, a Qatari official, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Netanyahu's office has since said this was 'not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy'. The Board of Peace is part of Trump's 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and is expected to temporarily oversee the running of Gaza.

The exact structure of the board, which will also manage Gaza's reconstruction, remains unclear and members are still being invited. The 'Gaza Executive Board' will be responsible for overseeing all on-the-ground work of yet another administrative group, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

So far, the only Israeli member on the Gaza Executive Board is Yakir Gabay, a businessman born in Israel and now based in Cyprus. There are no Palestinians on either senior board.

Officials from Qatar and Turkey, which have both been critical of Israel's military actions in Gaza, are confirmed members of the advisory panel.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media: 'The Gaza Strip does not need any 'administrative committee' to oversee its 'rehabilitation' - it needs to be cleansed of Hamas terrorists'.

Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid referred to the announcement as a 'diplomatic failure for Israel.'

The overarching Board of Peace will be made up of world leaders, with President Trump as its chairman. The names of the leaders involved have not been disclosed, but reports indicate that leaders from the UK, Hungary, Argentina, Jordan, Turkey, India, and Egypt have been invited.

Governments have reacted cautiously to the invitations, with only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirming his acceptance. Meanwhile, the UN has warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is far from resolved, reminding the world of the ongoing destruction and need for aid.