Netanyahu's office: U.S. announcement on composition of Gaza Executive Board not coordinated with Israel, runs counter to Israel’s policy
Netanyahu's statement addresses the composition of the 2nd of the 2 new bodies, which will be responsible for overseeing the on-the-ground activity, and includes Turkish and Qatari officials
An unusually blunt statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticized the appointments to the Gaza Executive Board announced by the White House on Friday, exposing a clear difference with U.S. administration of President Donald Trump over who will govern the Palestinian enclave.
“The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, operating under the Peace Conference, was made without coordination with Israel and runs counter to Israel’s policy. The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Minister to raise the issue directly with the U.S. Secretary of State."
The statement referred to one of two bodies unveiled by the White House on Friday. The first of these was named the "founding Executive Board", which will be staffed with the likes of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Sir Tony Blair and World Bank president Ajay Banga. It will focus on high-level investment and diplomacy.
Netanyahu's statement addressed the composition of the second body, the "Gaza Executive Board," which will be responsible for overseeing the on-the-ground activity of a body of Palestinian technocrats.
Some of its members include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay; Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi; Hassan Rashad, director of Egypt’s General Intelligence Agency; Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy; and Sigrid Kaag, the Netherlands’ former deputy prime minister and a Mideast expert.
Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Nickolay Mladenov, former Bulgarian politician and U.N. Mideast envoy, and several others will sit on both boards.