Trump taps Tony Blair, US military chief for post-war Gaza

US President Donald Trump on Friday assigned former British prime minister Tony Blair a prominent role in post-war Gaza and appointed a senior US military officer to lead a new international security force for the territory.

Trump announced the formation of a “Board of Peace” to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and governance, with the panel dominated by American officials and allies. Blair will serve on the board alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s longtime business partner and special negotiator.

The announcement came shortly after a Palestinian technocratic committee intended to administer Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo, which Kushner attended. Trump has declared himself chair of the Board of Peace, saying it will focus on governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment, and large-scale funding.

Blair’s appointment is controversial in the Middle East due to his role in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Trump said last year he wanted to ensure Blair would be an “acceptable choice to everybody.” After leaving office in 2007, Blair spent several years working on Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy as the Middle East Quartet’s envoy.

Other members of the board include World Bank President Ajay Banga, billionaire financier Marc Rowan, and Robert Gabriel, a Trump aide serving on the National Security Council.

Trump, a former real estate developer, has previously floated the idea of transforming Gaza into a resort-style economic hub, though he has since distanced himself from proposals involving the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Renewed strikes and security force

Israel’s military said on Friday it carried out additional strikes in Gaza in response to what it described as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire declared in October. The attacks occurred despite Washington announcing that the Gaza plan had entered a second phase, shifting from implementing the ceasefire to disarming Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered Israel’s large-scale offensive.

Trump also named US Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead an International Stabilization Force tasked with providing security in Gaza and training a new police force to replace Hamas. Jeffers, a special operations officer with US Central Command, previously oversaw monitoring of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in late 2024.

The United States is seeking international partners to contribute troops to the force, with Indonesia among the first countries to volunteer. However, diplomats say securing broad participation may prove difficult unless Hamas fully agrees to disarm.