Trump Names Rubio and Blair to Gaza Peace Council as Phase Two Begins

The White House is staffing a UN-backed effort pairing a Palestinian technocratic committee with an international stabilization mission, with timelines for Israeli withdrawal and Hamas disarmament still unsettled.

Overview

The founding executive board includes Marco Rubio, Tony Blair, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Robert Gabriel, Marc Rowan and World Bank president Ajay Banga, with President Trump serving as chair and further appointments expected.
A Canadian official said Mark Carney has accepted an invitation to join the council, following the initial White House announcement of members.
Day-to-day administration is assigned to a separate 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee led by Dr. Ali Sha’ath to restore essential services and institutions.
Israel retained veto power over the committee’s composition, and an Israeli official said Shin Bet approved the 15 proposed members with no Hamas or Palestinian Authority representatives.
Nickolay Mladenov was named high representative for Gaza and Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers was designated to lead the International Stabilization Force, as the council faces political sensitivities including Blair’s role and the absence of Palestinian Authority representation.