A peace plan released by the White House on Monday to end Israel’s war in Gaza included surprise roles in a post-war Gaza for two familiar political figures: former UK prime minister Tony Blair and US President Donald Trump.
Here are details of the proposed interim governance structure of the coastal territory:
The proposal says: “Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” though it does not identify any Palestinian individual or group by name as being involved in the transition.
The panel would be supervised by a new international transitional body called the “Board of Peace.”
It would be headed by Trump and would include other heads of state and members, including Blair.
The committee would be responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities in Gaza and would be made up of “qualified Palestinians and international experts,” who were not identified. Hamas would have no role in Gaza’s governance.
In recent weeks, reports of Blair’s involvement raised eyebrows among advocates due to the history of British imperialism in the region and, in particular Blair’s involvement in the invasion of Iraq that was premised on claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which were proven false.
The US-led invasion of Iraq began in 2003 and troops withdrew in 2011. It was widely criticised for a destabilising effect on the region and its heavy death toll. Blair himself faced criticism after his WMD claims were debunked.
The body would handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time “as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform programme,” the proposal said, without giving an exact timeline.
The plan said some investment proposals and ideas have been crafted by international groups, which were not identified.
The Palestinian Authority and a joint statement by multiple Muslim-majority countries said they welcomed Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza.
Late last month, Blair visited the White House to meet Trump.
The Tony Blair Institute think-tank has said it “has had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza.”
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, told the Washington Post: “We’ve been under British colonialism already. He has a negative reputation here. If you mention Tony Blair, the first thing people mention is the Iraq war.”
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said: “Tony Blair? Hell no. Hands off Palestine.”
Blair’s statement on Monday called Trump’s idea a “bold and intelligent plan.”
He expressed support for Trump for proposing to lead the board that would supervise the panel of Gaza’s interim governance.
