Sir Tony Blair will join Donald Trump in leading a transitional government in Gaza as the White House unveils its comprehensive 20-point peace plan to end the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
The former Prime Minister was part of a late August meeting Mr Trump presided over to tackle Israel’s war in Gaza and has been working for months with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on post-war plans for the Palestinian territory.
Under the proposals released Monday, a new international body called the “Board of Peace” would be established, chaired by President Trump with Blair as a key member, to oversee Gaza’s transition away from Hamas control.
Netanyahu Backs Trump Plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed the proposal during a White House press conference alongside Trump on Monday, declaring: “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims.
Trump expressed confidence about achieving peace, telling reporters at the White House: “At least we’re at a minimum, very, very close. And I think we’re beyond very close.”
The US President made clear that if Hamas rejects the deal, Israel would have his “full backing to do what you have to do.” He told Netanyahu directly: “Bibi, you’d have our full backing to do what you would have to do.
Netanyahu warned that if Hamas rejects or fails to comply with the plan, “then Israel will finish the job by itself,” adding: “This could be done the easy way, or it could be done the hard way. But it will be done.”
72-Hour Hostage Release Deadline
The White House peace plan proposes an immediate end to the conflict if both sides agree, with all remaining hostages – both living and dead – to be released within 72 hours of Israel accepting the agreement.
Once all hostages are returned, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained after the war began on October 7, 2023.
Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and decommission their weapons would be given amnesty. Those wishing to leave Gaza would be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
The plan explicitly states that Hamas and other factions “will have to agree to not have any role in governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form.”
Transitional Authority Structure
Gaza would be governed under what the plan calls “the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities.”
This committee would comprise “qualified Palestinians and international experts” with oversight from the Board of Peace.
The transitional authority would likely be called the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA), with a management budget of $90 million (£73m) in its first year, rising to $133.5 million (£108m) and $164 million (£133m) in subsequent years.
International Stabilisation Force
The US would “work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza,” according to the plan.
This force would “train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza” and consult with Jordan and Egypt, which have “extensive experience in this field.
The plan states: “This force will be the long-term internal security solution.” The ISF would conduct “targeted operations to prevent the resurgence of armed groups, disrupt weapons smuggling and neutralize asymmetric threats to public order.”
Blair’s Controversial Role
Blair’s involvement has raised eyebrows among Palestinian commentators and critics of his Iraq War legacy. Former MP George Galloway posted on social media: “Once it was clear that Satan was fully occupied elsewhere Tony Blair was the obvious choice to govern Gaza for Trump and Netanyahu.
The 72-year-old former Prime Minister, who served from 1997 to 2007, previously acted as Middle East envoy after leaving Downing Street. He has been working with Trump’s team through his Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which was reportedly commissioned by Kushner to develop the post-war plan.
Some reports suggest Blair’s ultimate role is not finalised, with one source saying he would like to be on the supervisory board, whilst another indicated he had been proposed as chair of the Gaza International Transitional Authority.
No Forced Displacement
Crucially, the plan specifies that no Palestinians will be forced to leave Gaza, addressing concerns about ethnic cleansing. It states that anyone who leaves “voluntarily” will be allowed to return to their homes.
The proposal includes a “Property Rights Preservation Unit” aimed at ensuring voluntary departure does not compromise Gazans’ right to return or retain property ownership.
“We do not have a plan to move the Gazan population out of Gaza. Gaza is for Gazans,” said a source involved in discussions on the Blair plan.
Palestinian Authority’s Future Role
The transitional government would rule Gaza until the Palestinian Authority completes its “reform programme” and “can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza,” though no timeline is specified.
The plan calls for the PA to get a revised constitution and hold elections for a new president and parliament before taking over from GITA.
However, Netanyahu appeared to contradict this during the press conference, stating: “Gaza will be administered neither by Hamas, nor by the Palestinian Authority.”
UK Government Response
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy addressed Blair’s potential role at the Labour conference in Liverpool, telling delegates that any Gaza administration would need Palestinian confidence.
“Clearly any authority in terms of its administration, the policing of Gaza or rebuilding of Gaza, would have to have the confidence of Palestinian people, and so I suspect it would have to include leadership that they can identify with, that probably include the Arab world,” Lammy said.
He added: “So that’s my instinct, but I don’t know. I’ve seen speculation about Tony. I have no idea whether that is a serious proposition. I suspect Tony will play, might play a part, or has a role potentially to play, but there’s quite a lot of dimensions as to the governance of Gaza afterwards.”
International Reaction
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the White House proposal, writing on social media that a durable peace between Palestinians and Israelis is essential for political stability and economic growth in the region.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators presented Hamas negotiators with the US proposal late Monday night, with an Arab diplomat telling sources the group would review it “in good faith.”
Trump claimed “everyone else has accepted it” but acknowledged Hamas had yet to agree, saying: “I have a feeling that we’re going to have a positive answer.”
White House Frustration with Netanyahu
Despite the public unity, tensions have been evident behind the scenes. One White House official told The Telegraph: “Everyone, and I mean everyone, is exasperated with Bibi.”
US officials had reportedly been prepared for Trump to publicly break with Netanyahu over Gaza if he didn’t endorse the plan.
The Israeli Prime Minister also apologised to Qatar’s Prime Minister for a September 9 strike in Doha targeting Hamas leadership during ceasefire negotiations, expressing “deep regret” and affirming Israel would not conduct such attacks again.
Economic Reconstruction Plan
The proposal includes what it calls a “Trump economic development plan” for Gaza, with the US President confirming an economic strategy to “reenergise and rebuild the much destroyed enclave.”
Full aid would “immediately” be sent into the Gaza Strip upon acceptance of the agreement, with quantities consistent with a January 19, 2025 agreement regarding humanitarian aid.
This would include rehabilitation of infrastructure including water, electricity and sewage systems, hospitals and bakeries, plus equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
Phased Israeli Withdrawal
The plan states Israel “will not occupy or annex Gaza.” Israeli forces would withdraw “based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarisation” agreed between the IDF, ISF, guarantors and the United States.
The IDF would “progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF” until withdrawn completely from Gaza, except for “a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.”
Trump noted during the press conference that Netanyahu had been “clear about his opposition to a Palestinian state” but said what he was doing was “so good for Israel.”
Questions Remain
Critical details remain vague in the 20-point plan. There are no clear timetables for transitions, no specified benchmarks for Palestinian Authority readiness, and uncertainty about which countries would contribute troops to the stabilisation force.
The proposal’s language treats Gaza as an independent entity rather than part of unified Palestinian territory, raising questions about long-term sovereignty.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the war has killed at least 66,055 Palestinians and wounded 168,346 since October 2023, with thousands more believed dead under rubble. The October 7 Hamas attack killed 1,200 Israelis with more than 250 taken hostage.
Whether Blair’s controversial involvement and Trump’s “Board of Peace” can succeed where countless previous peace efforts have failed remains to be seen, with Hamas’s response now the critical factor determining whether this latest proposal leads to peace or continued conflict.
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