Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, is seeking to play a senior role in running postwar Gaza under a peace plan being developed by the Trump administration, according to people briefed on the proposal.
Mr Blair has been discussing postconflict plans with US president Donald Trump, who this week presented his latest proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza and how the strip would be governed in a transitional period after the fighting stops, during a meeting of Arab and Muslim leaders.
Mr Trump’s proposals included establishing a Palestinian committee to administer the war devastated strip, which would be overseen by an international supervisory board.
One of the people briefed on the plans said Mr Blair would like to be on the supervisory board. Another person familiar with the matter said he had been proposed as the chair of the board of a “Gaza International Transitional Authority”. Mr Blair’s office declined to comment.
READ MORE
Mr Blair, who served as Middle East envoy after leaving Downing Street, has been working in an individual capacity for months touting a plan for an international trusteeship to govern Gaza once Israel’s near two-year war against Hamas ends.
He attended a meeting at the White House last month to discuss postwar plans for the besieged strip along with Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East adviser during the president’s first term.
European and Arab states have opposed the idea of an international trusteeship, believing it would marginalise the Palestinians and lack legitimacy in the eyes of Gazans.
They argue that Gaza should be run by a committee of Palestinian technocrats, endorsed by the Palestinian Authority, the western-backed body that administers limited parts of the occupied West Bank.
Mr Trump’s proposals include elements of various European and Arab plans, including a Palestinian committee to administer the strip with international oversight and the deployment of an international stabilisation force to help manage security.
The president’s plan also states there would be no forced displacement of Gazans.
Arab officials said they were optimistic about the plan after their meeting Mr Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Those attending included leaders and senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia.
[ Trump condemns moves to recognise Palestinian state in UN speechOpens in new window ]
One person briefed on the discussions about a potential role for Mr Blair said the US was looking to have him play a part in a transitional arrangement in Gaza.
Under Trump’s proposals, the US would push for a permanent ceasefire, with all the remaining hostages held by Hamas — about 20 of whom are believed to be alive — released together.
Israeli forces in Gaza would redeploy to positions they held during a temporary ceasefire between January and March and fully withdraw from the strip once a stabilisation force is in place, the people said.
Hamas, which triggered the war with its October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, would have no role in governance. The Palestinian Authority would be involved in the transition, but Arab and Muslim states would like its role to be expanded, people briefed on Trump’s plan said.
A big test of the plan’s success will be the reaction of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he meets the US president in Washington on Monday.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to “destroy” Hamas. He broke the last ceasefire in March and in recent weeks has launched a fresh offensive on Gaza City, the strip’s largest urban centre. He has also repeatedly rejected any role for the Palestinian Authority.
His response to Mr Trump’s plan may test the president’s resolve to pressure Israel to end its offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
[ Catherine Connolly’s Áras campaign stalls on thorny question of HamasOpens in new window ]
Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office earlier on Thursday that he had a “very good conversation” with Mr Netanyahu and other Middle East leaders, and was “getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza”. He also said, “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank” and had relayed this to Mr Netanyahu.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Blair’s role. - Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
