Israel opposes Trump's choices for 'Peace Board' leaders

2026-01-18 20:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting with his top advisers to discuss US President Donald Trump's "Peace Board" for Gaza, after it was revealed that the US did not include Israel in talks related to its creation.

Netanyahu's office said it was not coordinated with Israel and goes against its policy. The Israeli reaction followed Saturday's announcement by the executive board of the Gaza committee, which includes the Turkish foreign minister and a Qatari official, former UK prime minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The Peace Board, which is part of Trump's 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war, is expected to temporarily oversee the running of Gaza and manage its reconstruction. The exact structure remains unclear, while two separate senior bodies have been officially unveiled, both under the main Peace Board.

One is the "Founding Executive Board," with a high-level focus on investment and diplomacy. The other, the "Gaza Executive Board," is responsible for overseeing all the field work of another administrative group, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

So far, the only Israeli member of the Gaza Executive Board is Yakir Gabay, an Israeli-born businessman who now lives in Cyprus. There are no Palestinian nationals on either top board.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X: " The Gaza Strip does not need any administrative committee to oversee its rehabilitation - it must be cleansed of Hamas terrorists."

Officials from Qatar and Turkey, who have been critical of Israel's military actions in Gaza, have been confirmed as members of the advisory panel. The Comprehensive Peace Board will be made up of world leaders, with President Trump as its chairman.

The UN estimates that around 80% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, and families who survived the war are now facing winter weather and a lack of food and shelter.

Olga Cherevko of the UN's aid coordination office said the distribution of tons of aid and road repairs in the months since the ceasefire came into effect were more of a "stop-gap" than a solution. Israel says it is facilitating humanitarian aid and has blamed the UN for failing to deliver supplies that are already in Gaza. It argues that any restrictions are designed to stop Hamas from infiltrating and exploiting aid efforts. /CNA