File photo: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu with US President Donald Trump (Picture credit: AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly criticised the US administration over the composition of a newly announced Gaza governing body, marking a rare open disagreement with President Donald Trump’s White House.In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu said the announcement on the “Gaza Executive Board” was made without coordination with Israel and runs counter to Israeli policy.As per the Times of Israel, the statement said that “the announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and contradicts its policy”.The White House had earlier named both an “Executive Board” and a separate “Gaza Executive Board” as part of its Gaza ceasefire and governance plan. The inclusion of figures such as Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan in the Gaza Executive Board is believed to be one of the main reasons behind Netanyahu’s decision to issue the statement. Turkey has strained relations with Israel, despite maintaining contacts with Hamas. The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu has instructed foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar to raise Israel’s concerns directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This is notable as Sa’ar has largely been kept away from handling Israel-US relations in recent months, which have instead been managed through Netanyahu’s office and his close advisers.
Who is on the Gaza executive board
The US administration has said the Gaza governance plan will be overseen by a “Board of Peace” led by President Trump, with an executive committee of international figures supervising the process. The executive committee includes US secretary of state and national security adviser Marco Rubio, White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, World Bank president Ajay Banga and Apollo Global Management chief Marc Rowan.Regional representatives named include Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egypt’s intelligence chief Gen Hassan Rashad, and UAE Cabinet minister Reem Al-Hashimy. Other members include Maj Gen Jasper Jeffers, appointed to lead an international stabilisation force, former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov as high representative for Gaza, UN humanitarian coordinator Sigrid Kaag, and Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay, who provides Israel with an unofficial presence on the board, according to news agency AP. Ali Shaath has been named head of the new Palestinian committee to run Gaza’s daily affairs.The White House says the plan has entered its second phase, which includes international security deployment, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of Gaza. Netanyahu’s statement, however, signals Israeli discomfort with key elements of the plan being advanced without prior coordination with Jerusalem.
