Overseeing Key Portfolios for Gaza's Stability
The Board of Peace, the highest decision-making body that will govern the region until the end of the Gaza war and the completion of reconstruction, has finalized the composition of its executive committee.
On the 16th (local time), the White House released the list of members included in the inaugural executive committee of the Board of Peace on its website. President Donald Trump will serve as the chair of the committee.
The committee members are: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio; President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff; Jared Kushner (President Trump’s eldest son-in-law); former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Mark Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management; Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank; and Robert Gabriel, Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House-a total of seven members.
The formation of the Board of Peace signifies that President Trump’s Gaza peace initiative has moved from phase one to phase two. The White House explained, “Each member will oversee a specific portfolio crucial to the stability and long-term success of Gaza,” adding, “This includes, but is not limited to, building governance capacity, regional relations, reconstruction, attracting investment, large-scale fundraising, and mobilizing capital.”
To support this effort, President Trump has appointed Aryeh Lightstone, known as a close associate of Special Envoy Witkoff, and Josh Gruenbaum, U.S. Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner, as senior advisors to the committee.
Additionally, Nikolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian national and former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East, has been appointed as “Senior Representative for Gaza.” The White House stated that he will serve as the liaison between the Board of Peace and the National Committee for Administrative Governance (NCAG)-an interim technocratic body tasked with transitional administration until the completion of Gaza’s reconstruction.
The White House also announced that Major General Jasper Jeffers, Commander of Special Operations at United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, has been appointed as the commander of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza.
Furthermore, to support the Senior Representative’s Office and the NCAG, the Gaza Executive Committee has been established, with eleven members including Special Envoy Witkoff and former Prime Minister Blair, according to the White House.
The White House stated, “The United States will work closely with Israel, key Arab countries, and the international community to fully support this transitional framework in order to achieve the goals of the Gaza peace initiative.” The statement continued, “President Trump urges all parties to fully cooperate with the NCAG, the Board of Peace, and the ISF to ensure the swift and successful implementation of the peace initiative.”
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