Israel Objects to US Gaza Peace Board Picks, Citing Lack of Coordination

PM Netanyahu has directed Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar to express Israel's concerns to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy. The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter," The Israel PM office said in a post on X.

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.

Israel has specifically objected to the Gaza Executive Board, which is a subordinate and features British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi and others.

On Friday, White House unveiled the list of people appointed to the "Board of Peace" to oversee phase two of his 20-Point Peace Plan to end the Gaza conflict.

The executive committee include US State Secretary Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House said in a statement.

CEO of Apollo Global Management, Marc Rowan, and US Deputy National Security Adviser, Robert Gabriel, are also on the list.

"Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza's stabilisation and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation," The White House said.

The announcement comes just days after Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of the US-brokered plan to end Israel's war on Gaza.

- ANI