The White House has announced a new international body to oversee Gaza’s postwar transition and reconstruction, placing former President Donald Trump at the helm of a high-profile “Board of Peace” whose composition has already triggered sharp debate at home and abroad.
Revealed on January 16, 2026, the initiative is a central pillar of Trump’s 20-point plan aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas and steering Gaza toward demilitarization, technocratic governance, and large-scale rebuilding. The board is designed to temporarily supervise Gaza’s administration while coordinating security, humanitarian relief, and investment.
Who sits on the board
According to White House statements and multiple international reports, the executive board brings together senior political figures, financiers, and diplomats. Its members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a longtime Middle East adviser; former British prime minister Sir Tony Blair; World Bank president Ajay Banga; Apollo Global Management chief executive Marc Rowan; U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel; and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The administration said each member will oversee a specific portfolio, ranging from governance capacity-building and regional diplomacy to reconstruction, investment attraction, and large-scale capital mobilization. Additional appointments to both the main Executive Board and a parallel Gaza Executive Board are expected in the coming weeks.
One of the most contentious selections is Blair, whose legacy in the region remains deeply divisive because of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After leaving office, Blair served as the Middle East envoy for the international Quartet, focusing on economic development and a two-state framework. Trump has previously acknowledged the sensitivity of Blair’s appointment, saying he wanted to be sure the former UK leader would be broadly acceptable.
The structure also includes Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat and former senior United Nations official, who has been named High Representative for Gaza. Mladenov served as the UN’s top envoy to the region from 2015 to 2020 and is expected to act as the board’s main on-the-ground representative, liaising with Palestinian officials and international agencies.
Security responsibilities will fall to U.S. Major-General Jasper Jeffers, the current commander of U.S. special forces, who has been appointed head of the International Stabilisation Force for Gaza. His mandate includes security operations, facilitating humanitarian aid deliveries, and supporting what officials describe as comprehensive demilitarization.
Governance plan and backlash
Alongside the Board of Peace, the White House detailed a layered governance model intended to replace Hamas’s former administrative role. Central to this is a 15-member Palestinian technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). The committee will manage day-to-day governance and public services.
The NCAG will be led by Ali Sha’ath, a Gaza-born former deputy transportation minister in the Palestinian Authority. U.S. officials described Sha’ath as a pragmatic technocrat with extensive experience in public administration, economic development, and international engagement, arguing that his background positions him to navigate Gaza’s damaged institutions.
The rollout comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, ending two years of intense fighting. That truce enabled the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel. Despite the agreement, violence has continued. Gaza’s health ministry says nearly 450 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began, while the Israeli military reports three of its soldiers killed in attacks by Palestinian groups during the same period. The United Nations continues to warn that the humanitarian situation remains dire and that unrestricted aid access is urgently needed.
The broader war was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken. Since then, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to international reporting.
Criticism of the new board has been swift. Ashish Prashar, a former aide to Blair, questioned the legitimacy of placing Gaza under an international trusteeship, arguing that Palestinians alone should determine their future. Kushner’s inclusion has also drawn scrutiny, given his past comments suggesting Palestinians are incapable of self-governance and his close personal ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces war crimes allegations at the International Criminal Court.
Others, however, argue the board’s diplomatic weight could prove valuable. Britain’s health secretary Wes Streeting said Blair’s role in brokering Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement demonstrated skills that could help navigate complex negotiations, even if his Iraq record “raises eyebrows.”
The Gaza Executive Board, which will support service delivery and governance on the ground, includes several of the same figures as the main board as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi, reflecting an effort to involve key regional players. Observers say the involvement of the United Nations, through Mladenov, is critical if the project is to retain international credibility.
As the U.S.-brokered plan moves into its second phase, Gaza’s 2.1 million residents face an uncertain future. Whether this ambitious and controversial coalition can translate its authority and resources into lasting stability and reconstruction remains an open question in the weeks ahead.
