Washington [US], January 18: United States President Donald Trump has invited the leaders of Egypt and Turkiye to join his "Board of Peace" to oversee the post-war transition in Gaza, according to authorities in Ankara and Cairo.
The so-called Board of Peace revealed by the White House on Friday will oversee the temporary governance of Gaza under the US president's plan to end Israel's genocidal war against Palestinians in the besieged territory.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the proposal in a letter sent on Friday by Trump inviting him to "become a founding member" of the board, Turkish presidential communications director Burhanettin Duran posted on social media on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Egypt's foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, said at a news conference on Saturday that the country was reviewing a separate invitation from Trump to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to join the board.
The White House on Friday announced several members of the board, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is to chair the board.
The establishment of the board was part of Trump's plan to end Israel's war on Gaza that was unveiled in October. The plan says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international board, which will supervise Gaza's governance for a transitional period.
Many rights experts and advocates have said that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's governance resembled a colonial structure, while the prospect of Blair's involvement was criticised last year due to his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East.
Reporting from Gaza City on Saturday, Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud said Palestinians in the war-ravaged territory have noted that many of the people named to the "board of peace" have been major supporters of Israel and its war on the Gaza Strip. He said the major concern among Palestinians in Gaza is that the board members could prioritise "dominance [and] control over justice, reconstruction and the self-determination of the Palestinian people".
Mahmoud added that, if Palestinians had a voice on the board, they would demand safety first and foremost. "They want to live their day without the sounds of drones, . without sudden air strikes and forced displacement," he said.
The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the "founding executive board". It said more members will be announced over the coming weeks.
The board will also include private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, the White House said, adding that Nickolay Mladenov, a former United Nations Middle East envoy, will be the high representative for Gaza.
Army Major-General Jasper Jeffers, a US special operations commander, was appointed commander of the international stabilisation force, the White House said.
Source: Qatar Tribune
