U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday gave a key role in post-war Gaza to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and appointed a U.S. officer to lead a nascent security force.

Trump named members of a board to help supervise Gaza that was dominated by Americans, as he advances a controversial vision of economic development in a territory left in ruins after more than two years of sustained Israeli bombardment.

The move came after a Palestinian committee of technocrats intended to govern Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo. The gathering was attended by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who plays a central role in Middle East policy.

Trump has already declared himself chair of a “Board of Peace” and on Friday announced its full membership. It will include Blair along with senior Americans — Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s business partner turned global negotiator.

Blair remains a polarizing figure in the Middle East due to his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Trump said last year he wanted to ensure Blair was an “acceptable choice to everybody.”

Blair spent years focused on Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy as representative of the Middle East Quartet — the United Nations, European Union, United States, and Russia — after leaving office in 2007.

The White House said the Board of Peace will address issues including governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization.

Trump, a real estate developer, has previously floated the idea of transforming Gaza into a Riviera-style resort area, though he has stepped back from proposals to forcibly displace residents.

Other board members include World Bank President Ajay Banga, an Indian-born American businessman; U.S. financier Marc Rowan; and Robert Gabriel, a longtime Trump aide who serves on the National Security Council.

Israel strikes

Israel’s military said Friday it again struck the Gaza Strip in response to what it called a blatant violation of the ceasefire declared in October.

The strikes occurred despite Washington saying the Gaza plan had entered a second phase, shifting from implementing the truce to disarming Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the offensive.

Trump on Friday named U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead the International Stabilization Force, tasked with providing security in Gaza and training a new police force to replace Hamas.

Jeffers, a special operations officer with U.S. Central Command, in late 2024 oversaw monitoring of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has seen periodic strikes against Hezbollah militants.

The United States has sought international contributions to the force, with Indonesia emerging as an early volunteer.

Diplomats, however, expect difficulties persuading countries to deploy troops while Hamas refuses to fully disarm.

Committee begins work

Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath was earlier named to head the governing committee.

The committee’s Cairo meeting also included Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, appointed high representative to liaise between the new body and Trump’s Board of Peace.

Members are scheduled to meet on Saturday again, one participant told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“We hope to go to Gaza next week or the week after; our work is there, and we need to be there,” he said.

Trump also named a second executive board designed to play an advisory role.

Blair, Witkoff, and Mladenov will serve on it, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Israel has rejected a Turkish role in the security force, citing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The board will also include senior figures from mediators Egypt and Qatar, and from the United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020.

Trump also appointed Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, despite his administration’s efforts to sideline the world body.