U.S. President Donald Trump overnight unveiled the members of a new international body he will personally chair, dubbed the ‘Board of Peace,’ alongside a second entity named the ‘Gaza Executive Board,’ tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of Gaza and the next phase of his plan to end the war.
The announcement detailed two parallel frameworks. The ‘Board of Peace’ will be responsible for broad strategic oversight of the Gaza plan, including international fundraising, coordination among states and setting overall policy for reconstruction and political stabilization. The ‘Gaza Executive Board’ will supervise implementation on the ground, including civil services, institutional rebuilding and day-to-day coordination with local authorities.
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Tony Blair, Ajay Banga, Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff
(Photo credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst; Reuters/Florence Lo; Fabrice Coffrini/AFP; Reuters/Ammar Awad; Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein; Fadel Senna/Pool/AFP; AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The executive board will operate above the newly announced Palestinian technocratic administration intended to replace Hamas governance, and below the international oversight council.
The Board of Peace
Trump said he will personally lead the Board of Peace, which will oversee the second phase of his Gaza plan, focused on reconstruction and demilitarization. Serving under him will be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, presidential adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jewish American billionaire Mark Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, deputy U.S. national security adviser.
Rubio, who has become one of Trump’s most trusted public-facing figures, is viewed within the administration as a stabilizing presence capable of securing domestic and international support. Despite a turbulent relationship with Trump dating back to the 2016 Republican primaries, Rubio has emerged as a central figure in the current administration.
Last month, Rubio said there could be no lasting peace if Hamas retained the ability to threaten Israel. “You cannot convince countries to invest in Gaza if they believe another war is coming in two or three years,” he said, adding that implementation of later stages of the agreement would extend beyond the current administration.
Witkoff and Kushner
Special envoy Steve Witkoff formally announced the transition to the second phase of the Gaza plan last week, describing it as a move from cease-fire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction. He warned that failure by Hamas to meet its obligations, including the return of the last hostage, would carry severe consequences.
Witkoff has rapidly expanded his role beyond Gaza, leading U.S. engagement with Iran and mediating between Russia and Ukraine. Kushner, who worked closely with Witkoff on hostage negotiations, described the transition as “a historic new beginning for the Middle East.”
According to British media reports, early hostage deal discussions took place at Kushner’s residence in Miami. Speaking to The New York Times, Kushner said he urged Israeli leaders to focus on the potential benefits of Hamas signals rather than on concessions required.
Tony Blair
Blair, long rumored to be a leading candidate for the Gaza oversight role, was publicly endorsed by Trump despite objections from Arab and Muslim states stemming from Blair’s support for the Iraq war and his long-standing pro-Israel stance.
Blair, who first engaged the Israeli-Palestinian issue as British prime minister in 1997, later served as a U.N. envoy and informal mediator. The Washington Post reported that Blair helped shape key elements of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, though his involvement reportedly caused resentment among Palestinian figures.
Mark Rowan and Ajay Banga
Rowan, a Jewish American billionaire and CEO of Apollo Global Management, was previously considered for U.S. treasury secretary. He also chairs the board of the Jewish Federations of North America in New York and has been a major philanthropic donor.
World Bank President Ajay Banga, appointed in 2023, previously warned that the war would have serious global economic consequences. His appointment adds institutional weight to the reconstruction effort.
The Gaza Executive Board
Members of the Gaza Executive Board include Witkoff; Kushner; Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Qatari official Ali al-Thawadi; Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad; Blair; Rowan; UAE Minister Reem al-Hashimy; former Bulgarian foreign and defense minister Nikolai Mladenov; Israeli-Cypriot businessman Yakir Gabay; and U.N. official Sigrid Kaag.
The White House said Mladenov will also serve as ‘High Representative for Gaza,’ acting as a liaison between the international board and the Palestinian technocratic administration. Mladenov previously served as U.N. envoy to the Middle East and is widely credited with helping avert multiple escalations between Israel and Hamas.
Al-Thawadi, a senior Qatari diplomat, was present in the Oval Office during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology call with Qatar’s prime minister. He has been described in media reports as a key operative in Doha’s regional dealings, though Israeli officials have denied claims of direct meetings with Netanyahu.
Gabay, an Israeli-Cypriot businessman specializing in real estate, technology and international investments, was linked by The Washington Post to a private group of Jewish billionaires formed after the October 7 massacre to influence U.S. public opinion in support of the war.
In a statement, Gabay thanked Trump, Witkoff and Kushner for their trust and said he would work to advance the president’s vision for Gaza’s development, economic growth and the expansion of the Abraham Accords. He said the full disarmament of Hamas terrorists was a prerequisite for reconstruction.