Israel criticizes US over composition of ‘Gaza Executive Board’
The White House announced on Friday who will be part of a “Gaza Executive Board.” Israel, though, criticized the composition of this group, saying on X that it was not coordinated with them and “runs contrary to its policy.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar to contact U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about it, his office said.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, in response to the “Board of Peace” announcement, that he calls “on the Prime Minister to order the IDF to prepare to return to war with tremendous force in the Strip, in order to achieve the main goal of the war: the destruction of Hamas.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not say what, specifically, it objected to in regards to the Executive Board. However, one of the members is Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan — and Israel is against anyone from Turkey playing a role in Gaza. In addition, there are no Israeli officials on the board, although it does include Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay.
No Palestinians were named to the committee, either, which is also causing concern. Ziad Amr, a political activist in Ramallah, in the West Bank, told The Washington Post that Palestinians see the “Board of Peace,” which the Executive Board will work under, as a vehicle “to entrench policies and practices that deny the Palestinian people their political rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of a fully sovereign, independent state.”
The State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Saturday afternoon.
First ‘Board of Peace’ members announced
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said phase 20 of the 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas War started on Wednesday. Part of this plan includes a “Board of Peace” to oversee the reconstruction and temporary governance of Gaza.
On the Board of Peace’s executive committee are: Rubio; Witkoff; Jared Kushner, a businessman and Trump’s son-in-law; Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management; Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group and national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
“The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” the White House said in a statement.
Other members have not been named yet, but Trump invited the presidents of Egypt, Turkey and Argentina to be on the Board of Peace. Argentinian President Javier Milei said on social media that he took the position.
The Washington Post reported that as the Board of Peace was announced, Gaza’s media office said Israel violated a ceasefire agreement brokered back in October by shooting civilians, launching raids and preventing humanitarian aid from getting into the enclave. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday that more than 460 Palestinians were killed and 1,275 injured in the time since Oct. 10.
Israel, meanwhile, accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by attacking Israeli soldiers and not returning the remains of the last hostage Ran Gvili.
The Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, 2023. That’s the day Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 250 hostage. Since then, the Israeli military has killed more than 71,000 people in Gaza, and almost everyone there has been displaced, according to the Health Ministry.
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