Trump names Tony Blair, Jared Kushner to Gaza ‘Board of Peace’

President Donald Trump has named former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to his so-called “Board of Peace“, which is expected to oversee the United States president’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

The White House said on Friday that Blair would be among the board’s founding executive members, alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

The other members are Marc Rowan, the CEO of Apollo Global Management; World Bank Group President Ajay Banga; and Robert Gabriel, a US deputy national security adviser.

The board members “will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success”, the White House said, including “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization “.

Bulgarian diplomat and former senior United Nations official Nickolay Mladenov will serve as the High Representative for Gaza, according to the statement.

The announcement also named members of a Gaza Executive Board, aimed at supporting governance and services in Gaza. Blair, Kushner and Witkoff were also named to the board, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi and others.

The United Nations special envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on June 25, 2020. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it could begin the process to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank as well as the strategic Jordan Valley from July 1. The plan -- endorsed by Washington -- would see the creation of a Palestinian state, but on reduced territory, and without Palestinians' core demand of a capital in east Jerusalem. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
Nickolay Mladenov speaks during a news conference in 2020 [File: Menahem Kahana/AFP]

In addition, the White House said that US Major-General Jasper Jeffers has been appointed as Commander of the International Stabilisation Force for Gaza.

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