Trump Establishes 'Board of Peace' for Gaza with Notable Leaders

Sat Jan 17 2026 04:18:41 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bid to manage Gaza's reconstruction, the Trump administration has formed a 'Board of Peace' featuring prominent figures like Marco Rubio and Tony Blair.

The Trump administration has announced the formation of a new 'Board of Peace' aimed at overseeing the reconstruction of Gaza following ongoing conflicts. Among its founding members are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, with Trump himself taking on the role of chairman. This initiative is part of a broader 20-point plan to stabilize the region, which has seen devastating impacts from recent warfare. The board is tasked with governance and stabilization efforts in Gaza, which included the formation of a parallel Palestinian technocratic committee and plans for an International Stabilization Force.

The Trump administration has named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK prime minister Sir Tony Blair as two of the founding members of its 'Board of Peace' for Gaza.

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner will also sit on the 'founding executive board', the White House said in a statement.

Trump will act as chairman of the board, which forms part of his 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

The board is expected to temporarily oversee the running of Gaza and manage its reconstruction.

Also on the founding executive board are Marc Rowan, the head of a private equity firm, World Bank chief Ajay Banga, and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel.

Each member would have a portfolio 'critical to Gaza's stabilisation and long-term success', the White House statement said.

Trump had said on Thursday that the board had been formed, calling it the 'Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place'.

Further members of the board would be named in the coming weeks, the White House said.

Sir Tony was UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and took the UK into the Iraq War in 2003. After leaving office, he served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (the US, EU, Russia, and UN).

This announcement comes after the establishment of a separate 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), tasked with managing post-war Gaza governance.

Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, will head that committee.

Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian politician and former UN Middle East envoy, will represent the board in Gaza working with the NCAG.

Trump's plan states that an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will be deployed to Gaza to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces, with US Major General Jasper Jeffers heading this effort to 'establish security, preserve peace, and establish a durable terror-free environment'.

A 'Gaza executive board' is also being formed to help with governance, including some members from the founding executive board and additional appointees.

The US peace plan, which commenced in October, has entered its second phase, though there remain many unanswered questions regarding the future of Gaza and its 2.1 million residents.

Under the initial phase, Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire and several other measures, including a partial Israeli withdrawal and hostages' exchange.

However, analysts suggest that the ceasefire is delicate, with both parties accusing each other of violations and humanitarian conditions remaining dire as the war's toll rises, with significant deaths reported in both communities.