Category World News

Days after US envoy Steve Witkoff launched “phase two” of the US-brokered plan to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, US President Donald Trump has officially laid out the structure of the “Board of Peace.” It is anticipated that Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza will “fulfill” his 20-point plan.

A statement published by the White House on Saturday details a three-tiered power structure – with a US-led “Board of Peace” comprised of billionaires and figures close to Israel at the top.

Nickolay Mladenov, a diplomat from Bulgaria and designated the “High Representative for the Board of Peace,” will lead the transition from Hamas to a technocratic Palestinian government led by former deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to lead the transition.

The “Gaza Executive Board,” which will collaborate with the Office of the High Representative and the Palestinian technocratic administration known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), was also announced by the White House.

While Washington frames this as a roadmap for “reconstruction and prosperity”, the exclusion of Palestinians from the top decision-making body suggests they will have little say in deciding the future governance structure.

What is the operation of the new three-tier governing structure, and why experts warn it resembles a “commercial trusteeship”?

The “Board of Peace”

According to the White House statement, the “Founding Executive Council” sits at the apex of the pyramid. This organization has the strategic vision and holds the purse strings. President Trump, who retains veto authority, presides it.

The lineup of Executive Board members is:

Marco Rubio, the US’s secretary of state, is one of the Trump administration’s most vocal supporters of Israel. He has stated that no visas will be issued to Israeli critics. He has also criticised the move by several Western countries to recognise Palestinian statehood as a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda”.
• Steve Witkoff, a US special envoy to Trump, is a close friend and developer of real estate in New York. In Gaza, he was given the task of holding ceasefire talks. Witkoff was accused of reneging on Gaza talks after he accused Hamas of blocking a deal last July. Basem Naim, a member of the Has political bureau, accused him of “serving the Israeli position.”
• Jared Kushner, the son of Donald Trump, is Kushner. is also a staunch supporter of Israel who previously suggested that Palestinians are incapable of self-governance. He claimed that Gaza’s waterfront property is “very valuable.” The so-called Abraham Accords, a series of agreements formalizing ties between several Arab nations and Israel, were also spearheaded by Kissinger.
• Billionaire businessman Marc Rowan: Rowan is a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, which is one of the world’s largest investment firms. According to media reports, he has funded pro-Israel advocacy organizations in Israel and run philanthropic endeavors in Israel. Additionally, he has backed the Israeli-American Council, which promotes the development of both Israeli and American Jewish communities.
• Ajay Banga: Banga is currently the president of the World Bank. President Trump nominated him for the position. Prior to joining General Atlantic as vice chairman and chief executive, Banga held positions at Mastercard.
• Former British PM Tony Blair: Blair, who served as British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, supported the US-led so-called “war on terror” in the early 2000s, and joined then-US President George W Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. In the area, he is perceived as a polarizing figure.
• Robert Gabriel Jr. serves as the Trump administration’s deputy national security advisor.

Trump has invited the leaders of Egypt, Turkiye and Jordan to join his “Board of Peace” to oversee the post-war transition in Gaza, according to authorities in Ankara, Cairo and Amman.

Trump has also invited a number of world leaders to a Board of Peace, including Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Javier Milei of Argentina. The Trump administration has asked nations to make at least $1 billion in contributions to become permanent members, according to a report released on Sunday by Bloomberg News. A non-permanent membership would remain free.

Mladenov, who supported the Abraham Accords as the UN Middle East envoy in 2015-2020, will act as the “on-the-ground link” between the NCAG and the Board of Peace.

The Board of Peace was given two “strategic advisers” with contentious records by the White House:

Aryeh Lightstone: A key figure in the Abraham Accords and the controversial aid organisation the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF), which faced severe accusations regarding aid mismanagement and coordination failures that led to the killing of hundreds of Palestinians seeking food.

Josh Gruenbaum: In line with previous attempts to “Middle East Riviera” in Gaza, which prioritized real estate opportunities over refugee rights.

This top-heavy structure, according to political analyst for Gaza, reflects a “corporate takeover” of the Palestinian cause, according to Iyad al-Qarra.

“Trump treats Gaza not as a homeland, but as a bankrupt company in need of a new board of directors”, al-Qarra said. He “has transformed sovereignty into a business venture,” remarking that he has given investors and foreign politicians the power to make strategic decisions.

The “Gaza Executive Board”

Below the founding council sits the “Gaza Executive Board”, tasked with regional coordination.

• Steve Witkoff
• Jared Kushner
• Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
• Ali Al-Thawadi, a diplomat from Qatar,
• Hassan Rashad, the Egyptian General Intelligence Director General,
• Tony Blair
• Marc Rowan
• Reem Al-Hashimy, the UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation,
• Nickolay Mladenov
• Yakir Gabay, an Israeli-Cypriot tycoon, owns a lot of real estate. whose presence with Arab and Turkish diplomats raises questions about normalizing economic ties disguised as reconstruction.
• Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch politician and United Nations coordinator in Gaza

The Executive Board, which includes Arab nations, is tasked with “supporting effective governance” in Gaza.

The Board will support the administration’s ability to provide top-notch services to promote peace, stability, and prosperity for Gaza’s citizens, according to a statement from the White House.

The Israeli criticism

Israel objected to the inclusion of Turkiye and Qatar representatives despite the plan’s US-led nature. The formation of this executive committee “was not coordinated with Israel,” according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday.

According to Israeli media, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for a return to “full war” and “voluntary migration” rather than handing Gaza to a board involving Turkiye. Former Israeli intelligence advisor Yaakov Amidror claimed that allowing “Turkiye – led by a government sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood – into Gaza is a strategic error that would strengthen Hamas.

Al-Qarra, however, views this “anger” as largely theatrical. “Netanyahu’s objection is tactical”, al-Qarra noted. In the end, this board delegates international donors’ significant burden of bringing about Gaza’s misery while allowing Israel to maintain security control for free.

The Gaza Administration National Committee

At the bottom of the hierarchy lies the only Palestinian component: NCAG

Chairman of the Committee, Ali Shaath, confirmed the official lineup in an interview with Egyptian media. The 12-person team is made up entirely of experts with responsibilities ranging from managing specific service sectors:

Economy &amp, Trade: Engineer Aed Abu Ramadan
• Agriculture: Abdel Karim Ashour
• Dr. Aed Yaghi, health
• Housing &amp, Lands: Engineer Osama al-Saadawi
• Adnan Abu Warda, Justice
• Major General Sami Nasman, Interior andamp; Internal Security
• Municipalities &amp, Water: Ali Barhoum
• Finances, Bashir Al-Rayyes
• Hana Tarazi, head of social affairs
• Education: Jabr Al-Daour
• Omar Al-Shamali, an engineer in communications

A veteran has been given the reins of internal policing with the appointment of Major General Sami Nasman. However, questions remain about his authority given the parallel presence of US-led forces.

Palestinians lose political agency, claim critics, if they are relegated to this level. This structure confirms the fears of a “new mandate,” according to writer and analyst Wissam Afifa of Gaza.

“The Palestinians have been reduced to municipal employees”, Afifa said. They are tasked with restoring schools and removing sewage, but they have no say in their nation’s political future. The “National Committee” receives instructions from the “High Representative,” who receives instructions from the White House, in a sovereignty-minus model.

However, Afifa added that people who have witnessed a genocide are desperate for things to change. People view this committee as a potential lifeline because of its emphasis on speaking not as an analyst but as a citizen who has survived the catastrophe, according to Afifa. There are high hopes that Israel’s declared a region uninhabitable in the future.

Afifa emphasised that while the technocratic administration members are “highly professional”, the real challenge lies elsewhere. He continued, “This is a test for Trump, not the committee,” adding, “This is a test for him.”

He questioned whether the new administration would “fail to restrain Israeli arrogance” and whether it would “fail to bring in a “Mary Marshall Plan” level of support.”

“The fear”, Afifa said, “is that we will face humanitarian blackmail, where aid is conditioned on security concessions”.

International Stabilization Force

Operating alongside these tiers is the military pillar, led by US General Jasper Jeffers as commander of the “International Stabilization Force”. His mandate includes “permanent disarmament”.

Afifa warns that this clause could open the door to conflict by shifting the focus from “relief” to “an Israeli security priority.”

Afifa warned that “the main problem is that this force is tasked with enforcing an Israeli agenda – disarmament – without a political settlement.” “Most countries are hesitating because they refuse to act as security contractors for Israel. This is not a recipe for stability; rather, it is a recipe for an internationalized civil war.

Bottom line:

The “Board of Peace” creates a clear hierarchy: The US and business moguls decide, the region pays and coordinates, and the Palestinians implement service delivery.

Afifa came to the conclusion that “this is the most marginalized form.” The plan attempts to bury the Palestinian national project by separating the “service” file from the “political” file.

Al-Qarra added that the structure treats the symptoms while ignoring the disease.

Al-Qarra told Al Jazeera, “The real test will be on the ground.” The people of Gaza want Palestinian-run, national governments, not American appointing. Anybody who fails to address the occupation is simply managing the crisis, not solving it”.

American presidential envoy Steven Witkoff announced on social media last week that the “ceasefire” is in its second phase as Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip increased. The composition of a foreign executive committee and peace board that will oversee the Palestinian technocrats’ interim government of Gaza was revealed by US President Donald Trump in the days following.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in his plan that neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority (PA) would be involved in Gaza’s future. The latter is mentioned in Trump’s “peace plan,” but it is supposed to have to implement a number of unnamed reforms before being allowed to play any part in Gaza.

In reality, this implies that Fatah can also be easily prevented from regaining control of the Gaza Strip under the pretext that these ambiguous reforms are in place.

The current arrangement and Israel’s call for “no Hamas, no Fatah” are both deeply ignorant of Palestinian society’s foundation, its politics, and its history. It is unrealistic to assume that an independent Palestinian political organization could be established and fully integrated into the occupation to oversee Palestinian affairs.

There have been numerous national movements and revolutions in Palestine that have all been united by a single criterion: the end of Israeli colonial rule. No Palestinian collective has ever publicly agreed to be included in the Israeli colonial project, regardless of its form.

The formation of political parties and the formation of public opinion were all influenced by the resistance movement.

Although the methods and tools used by various political parties and groups in Palestine may differ, all of them have a shared commitment to the Palestinian cause and Palestinian rights.

The two most important political actors in Palestinian society are still Hamas and Fatah. Hamas has continued to support resistance since its inception while Fatah emerged as the country’s dominant liberation movement before the Oslo Accords changed its political direction. The Palestinian social fabric naturally rejects any leadership or organization that doesn’t adhere to the principles of national independence or accepts foreign guardianship in addition to these two currents and other smaller factions.

Israel has chosen to ignore this deeply ingrained reality and instead tries to ignore it by imposing artificial facts on the ground. In response, it has remained on the lookout for “local alternatives” to governance in Gaza.

Israel made an effort throughout the conflict to empower and provide weapons to specific groups and individuals in an effort to aid their postwar efforts. Many of them had extensive criminal histories, and many of them were socially excluded before the war. Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of the Tarabin tribe, is one such example. He was held in prison for many years for drug-related charges and received significant Israeli support to form his own militia during the war.

He looted humanitarian aid and supported the occupation in Rafah, including obtaining Israeli troops’ passage. His own tribe issued a statement denouncing him after he was killed on December 4 and there were celebrations in Gaza. Israeli efforts to empower and engage with other clans have also failed.

Celebrity clans and families have repeatedly condemned individual members’ actions in public statements as having chosen to work with Israel. While confirming that Palestinian clans continue to be firmly committed to the Palestinian national struggle, they have removed protection and outdone the collaborators.

This rejection is attributable to Israeli policy’s failure to implement any local extensions that are compatible with the project. Despite genocide, starvation, and displacement, it confirms Israel’s inability to erase Palestinian national memory or sabotage the general consensus.

In the West Bank, things are similar. The Fatah-dominated PA has collaborated there on security and the occupation for three decades. In consequence, it is extremely unlikely to be legitimate today. In contrast, Mahmoud Abbas, the PA’s president, has a 16% approval rating while its president, a recent poll, has a 23% approval rating in the West Bank.

Despite the PA’s close security ties to the occupation, it has failed to halt Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. The West Bank witnessed the rise of armed formations that were independent of the traditional Fatah and Hamas, such as Areen al-Usud (Lions’ Den) in Nablus and the Jenin Brigades.

These initiatives were carried out by youth and received a lot of popular support. Their resistance campaigns reflected the Palestinian people’s support for the armed struggle approach that has continued despite outdated structures.

Legitimacy matters in the Palestinian context, which Israel and its Western allies are trying to understand. Foreign councils or militias funded by Israel cannot create it. Because of the ties between national history and identity, resistance gives Palestine its legitimacy.

Any attempt to get around this reality is a failure because it will only lead to internal conflict, complete security collapse, and permanent chaos in Gaza. Additionally, it would sever Trump’s role as a broker and make the current arrangement appear to be nothing more than a political spectacle to cover up an Israeli-executed genocide.

The only thing that can guarantee stability is the Palestinian people’s total and unwavering support for a free and independent Palestinian state, which will be based solely on their wishes regardless of their differences and political affiliations.