Israel is objecting to the White House announcement.
In a rare criticism of the US, the government of its close ally, Israel, is objecting to the White House announcement of leaders who will play a role in monitoring the next steps in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Saturday, a day after the announcement. The Executive Committee in Gaza stated that its actions “were not coordinated with Israel and are contrary to its policy.” The statement said that Netanyahu has asked the Foreign Minister to contact US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Minutes after the statement from Netanyahu’s office, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, supported the prime minister in a statement and urged him to order the army to prepare to return to combat.
The White House released the names of some leaders who will play roles on the committee. The list does not include any Israeli officials but does include one Israeli businessman.
Other members announced so far include Rubio, President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ali Shaath, an engineer from Gaza and former Palestinian Authority official, Apollo Global Management CEO Mark Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Mr. Trump’s deputy national security adviser, Robert Gabriel.
The White House has said the executive committee will advance the vision of a Trump-led “peace board”, whose members have not yet been named.
A US official confirmed this to CBS News on Saturday. A report from Bloomberg stated that Mr. Trump wants countries seeking a permanent seat on the Peace Board to contribute $1 billion. Bloomberg reports that countries that choose not to contribute $1 billion will only be eligible for three-year terms.
The U.S. An official told CBS News that, although there is no requirement to join the board, if countries want to become permanent members, they can contribute $1 billion instead of just a three-year membership.
The US official informed CBS News that the board would use any contributions to rebuild Gaza. The official stated that the board would direct the expenditure of “almost every dollar” raised, promising no “excessive salaries” or “administrative burdens.”.
The White House also announced members of a new Palestinian committee to run the day-to-day affairs of Gaza under the oversight of the executive committee.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was invited by Mr Trump to join the board, an offer he intends to accept, a senior aide told Agence France-Presse on Saturday. A senior Canadian government official declined to provide additional details.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Türkiye are said to be reviewing Mr Trump’s invitation to join the group. Egypt’s foreign minister told a news conference that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had been invited to attend, while Turkey’s president said President Tayyip Erdogan had received a letter from the US president.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second-largest militant group after Hamas, also expressed dissatisfaction with the formation of the executive committee in a statement, claiming it reflected Israeli “idiosyncracies.”.
Earlier this week, Witkoff announced the US was moving forward with what the White House called phase two of the Gaza peace plan. This would include the formation of a new Palestinian committee in Gaza, the deployment of international security forces, the disarmament of Hamas; and the reconstruction of the war-torn region.
In a post, as for X, Witkoff said that the agreement also includes Hamas returning the remains of the last deceased hostage still in Gaza.
“Failure to do so would have serious consequences,” Witkoff wrote.
The ceasefire took effect on 10 October, with the first phase focusing on the return of all remaining hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza.
