NAHARIYA, Israel — Israel’s government is objecting to the White House announcement of leaders who will play a role in overseeing next steps in the Gaza Strip.
The rare criticism from Israel of its close ally in Washington came in a statement Saturday that says the Gaza executive committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy.”
The statement, which did not provide details, also said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his Foreign Ministry to contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The committee members announced by the White House on Friday include no Israeli officials but has an Israeli businessman, billionaire Yakir Gabay. Other members announced so far include two of President Trump’s closest confidants, a former British prime minister, an American general and a collection of top officials from Middle Eastern governments.
The White House has said the executive committee will carry out the vision of a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose members have not yet been named. The White House also announced the members of a new Palestinian panel to run Gaza’s day-to-day affairs, with oversight by the executive committee.
The executive committee’s members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management Chief Executive Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and U.S. deputy national security advisor Robert Gabriel Jr.
Committee members also include a diplomat from Qatar and an intelligence chief from Egypt — both countries have been ceasefire mediators — as well as a Cabinet minister for the United Arab Emirates and Turkey’s foreign minister.
Minutes after the statement from Netanyahu’s office, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a statement backed the prime minister and urged him to order the military to prepare to return to war.
The Trump administration said this week that the U.S.-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza was now moving into its challenging second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza, deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.
The ceasefire took effect Oct. 10, with the first phase focusing on the return of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees, along with a surge in humanitarian aid and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces in the war-ravaged territory.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second-largest militant group after Hamas, in a statement also expressed dissatisfaction with the makeup of the executive committee, saying it reflected Israeli “specifications.”
Melzer writes for the Associated Press.
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