The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not co-ordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was “studying” a request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join. Trump himself said last year that he wanted to make sure Blair was an “acceptable choice to everybody”. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad criticised the composition of the Board of Peace, saying it served Israel’s interests. Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath was earlier tapped to head the governing committee.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 17, 2026 21:21 UTC