Israel is angered by the White House’s appointment of an international oversight board for the Gaza Strip.
Jan 18, 2026, 05:49Jan 18, 2026, 05:49
“The announcement regarding the composition of the so-called “Gaza Executive Board,” which reports to the “Peace Council,” was “not coordinated with Israel and contradicts its policies,” said an unusually clear statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He instructed Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to contact his US colleague Marco Rubio about this matter.
Benjamin Netanyahu is not happy about the potential members of the Gaza Council.Image: keystone
Prominent role for critics of Israel
Netanyahu is obviously offended by the fact that the committee includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Thawadi. Turkey and Qatar had sharply criticized Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip against the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas. Technically, the Gaza Executive Council and another executive committee report to the “Peace Council,” which will be made up of world leaders and led by US President Donald Trump. However, the executive bodies will be more directly involved in overseeing the post-war administration in Gaza.
“This is our show”
Asked about Netanyahu’s objections, a senior US official told the US news site Axios: “This is our show, not his show. We have achieved things in Gaza in recent months that no one thought possible, and we will continue.” Netanyahu was not consulted on the staffing of the executive body because he had no say in the matter.
“He should concentrate on Iran and leave Gaza to us. We won’t argue with him.”
The “Peace Council” is part of the second phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which envisages a permanent end to the war and the disarmament of the terrorist organization Hamas, which it rejects. The international body is supposed to oversee the new transitional government made up of Palestinian technocrats in the coastal strip that was largely destroyed in the war.
According to his own statements, several heads of state and government were invited by Trump on Friday to take part in this “Peace Council”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among others, also received an invitation. Trump’s new plans are also controversial because he is demanding money for permanent membership in the council – one billion US dollars. In addition, as chairman, Trump would have massive privileges in the council.
(sda/dpa)