Report: Tony Blair will not join Trump’s Gaza “Peace Council”
Arab and Muslim states reportedly raised strong objections to Blair’s appointment, despite him being the only publicly named candidate when Trump unveiled his 20-point plan
Tony Blair will not take a seat on the so-called “peace council” envisioned by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee Gaza’s post-war governance, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Arab and Muslim states reportedly raised strong objections to Blair’s appointment, despite him being the only publicly named candidate when Trump unveiled his 20-point plan to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
When the plan was announced, Trump praised Blair as “a very good person,” and the former UK prime minister expressed willingness to serve.
However, Blair’s longstanding support for the 2003 Iraq invasion has left a lasting stigma in the Middle East, fueling concerns that his presence could marginalize Palestinian voices in the proposed governance structure. Trump had acknowledged these sensitivities in October, saying he wanted to ensure Blair would be “acceptable to everyone.”
For over a year, Blair has been engaged in Gaza planning through the Tony Blair Institute, developing scenarios and coordinating with key U.S. figures including Jared Kushner. While he will not sit on the main council, which is expected to be composed of serving heads of state, he may join a smaller executive committee alongside Kushner, Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, and senior officials from Arab and Western countries.
This executive committee, reportedly to be led by former UN envoy and Bulgarian defense minister Nickolay Mladenov, would coordinate with a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with overseeing Gaza’s daily administration. The arrangement appears to echo the functions initially envisioned for Blair, acting as a bridge between international oversight and local governance.
Despite these plans, much of the post-war framework remains undefined. No country has formally committed to the international stabilization force outlined in Trump’s plan, leaving its mandate, size, and command structure uncertain. Meanwhile, the thorny issue of disarming Hamas remains unresolved, as the group continues to resist the surrender stipulated in the Trump ceasefire agreement.