In Gaza panel, roles given to Qatar, Turkey may upset Israel

President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled the members of a key international panel that will oversee the postwar management of Gaza. Notable members of the Board of Peace’s Executive Committee include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, senior Qatari diplomat Ali Thawadi, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, UAE Minister of International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy and former UK prime minister Tony Blair. The inclusion of prominent officials from Qatar and Turkey — two countries who have been highly critical of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza — is likely to upset Jerusalem, but demonstrates their perceived utility to Trump, who has touted their abilities to coax Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire in October.
According to The Times of Israel report, this additional executive committee will not play a critical role in decision-making, but the White House statement said that additional members of both committees would be announced in the coming weeks. The Executive Committee will oversee the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the similarly new panel of Palestinian technocrats that will be responsible for providing basic services to Gazans. It will operate under the Board of Peace, a panel of world leaders headed by Trump, which the US is aiming to unveil in the coming days. However, the Board of Peace will play a more symbolic role, with the executive committee serving as its operational arm said the report.