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US President Donald Trump on Friday assigned former British Prime Minister Tony Blair a role in a US-led framework intended to oversee post-war governance, security and reconstruction in Gaza, according to the White House.
The White House, in a statement, said Blair was appointed to an executive board supporting a newly created “Board of Peace”, which Trump will chair.
The board is intended to provide strategic oversight of Gaza’s transition under what the Trump administration referred to as the second phase of its Gaza plan.
“President Donald J. Trump congratulated the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a vital step forward in implementing Phase Two of his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict—a 20-point roadmap for lasting peace, stability, reconstruction, and prosperity in the region,” the White House said.
The NCAG, a Palestinian technocratic body, is expected to manage Gaza’s day-to-day administration during a transitional period. It will be led by Ali Sha’ath, a former Palestinian Authority official.
The White House said Sha’ath will oversee “the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilisation of daily life in Gaza.”
The Board of Peace will be in charge of “providing strategic oversight, mobilising international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” according to the White House.
Alongside Blair, the executive board includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US envoy Steve Witkoff, presidential adviser and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, financier Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga and Trump aide Robert Gabriel.
“The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” it stated.
The White House said each member would “oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation.”
In support of this operating model, Trump appointed Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum as senior advisors to the Board of Peace, charged with leading day-to-day strategy and operations and translating the Board’s mandate and diplomatic priorities into disciplined execution.
Former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov was named High Representative for Gaza and will serve as “the on-the-ground link between the Board of Peace and the NCAG,” the statement said, adding that he will also support the “Board’s oversight of all aspects of Gaza’s governance, reconstruction, and development, while ensuring coordination across civilian and security pillars.”
On security, Trump appointed US Major General Jasper Jeffers to command an International Stabilisation Force (ISF).
The White House said Jeffers will lead efforts to establish security, preserve peace, and establish a durable, terror-free environment, while supporting humanitarian aid delivery and reconstruction.
The administration also announced the creation of a Gaza Executive Board that will include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatar’s Ali Al-Thawadi, UAE minister Reem Al-Hashimy and UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, among others.
“The United States remains fully committed to supporting this transitional framework, working in close partnership with Israel, key Arab nations, and the international community to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.,” the White House said.
It called on “all parties to cooperate fully with the NCAG, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilisation Force,” noting that “additional Executive Board and Gaza Executive Board members will be announced over the coming weeks.”
