By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A peace plan released by the White House on Monday to end Israel’s war in Gaza included surprise roles in a post-war Gaza for two familiar political figures: former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Here are details of the proposed interim governance structure of the coastal territory:
WHAT DOES THE PLAN SAY ON INTERIM GOVERNANCE?
The proposal says: “Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” though it does not name any Palestinian individual or group by name as being involved in the transition.
The panel would be supervised by a new international transitional body called the “Board of Peace.” It would be headed by Trump and would include other heads of state and members, including Blair.
The committee would be responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities in Gaza and would be made up of “qualified Palestinians and international experts,” who were not identified. Hamas would have no role in Gaza’s governance.
WHY HAS THE PLAN RAISED SOME EYEBROWS?
In recent weeks, reports of Blair’s involvement raised eyebrows among advocates due to the history of British imperialism in the region and in particular Blair’s involvement in the invasion of Iraq that was premised on claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which were proven false.
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began in 2003 and troops withdrew in 2011. It was widely criticized for a destabilizing effect on the region and its heavy death toll. Blair himself faced criticism after his WMD claims were debunked.
WHAT WILL THE GOVERNANCE BODY DO?
The body would handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time “as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program,” the proposal said, without giving an exact timeline. The plan said some investment proposals and ideas have been crafted by international groups, which were not identified.
The Palestinian Authority and a joint statement by multiple Muslim-majority countries said they welcomed Trump’s efforts to the end the war in Gaza.
WHAT RECENT ENGAGEMENT HAS BLAIR HAD ON GAZA?
Late last month, Blair visited the White House to meet Trump. The Tony Blair Institute think-tank has said it “has had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza.”
WHAT DO CRITICS AND PALESTINIANS SAY ABOUT BLAIR’S INVOLVEMENT?
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, told the Washington Post: “We’ve been under British colonialism already. He has a negative reputation here. If you mention Tony Blair, the first thing people mention is the Iraq war.”
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said: “Tony Blair? Hell no. Hands off Palestine.”
WHAT DID BLAIR SAY?
Blair’s statement on Monday called Trump’s idea a “bold and intelligent plan.” He expressed support to Trump for proposing to lead the board that would supervise the panel of Gaza’s interim governance.
CONTEXT
Images of starving Palestinians have sparked global outrage against Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and internally displaced Gaza’s entire population. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say it amounts to genocide.
Israel calls its actions self-defense after the October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and in which more than 250 were taken hostage.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Don Durfee and Leslie Adler)
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