A peace plan released by the White House on Monday to end Israel's war in Gaza included surprise roles in a post-war Gaza for two familiar political figures: former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Here are details of the proposed interim governance structure of the coastal territory:
What does the plan say on interim governance
The proposal says, "Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee," though it does not name any Palestinian individual or group by name as being involved in the transition.
The panel would be supervised by a new international transitional body called the 'Board of Peace.' It would be headed by Trump and would include other heads of state and members, including Blair.
The committee would be responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities in Gaza and would be made up of "qualified Palestinians and international experts," who were not identified. Hamas would have no role in Gaza's governance.
Why has the plan raised some eyebrows?
In recent weeks, reports of Blair's involvement raised eyebrows among advocates due to the history of British imperialism in the region and in particular Blair's involvement in the invasion of Iraq that was premised on claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which were proven false.
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began in 2003 and troops withdrew in 2011. It was widely criticised for a destabilising effect on the region and its heavy death toll. Blair himself faced criticism after his WMD claims were debunked.
What will the governance body do?
The body would handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time "as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform programme," the proposal said, without giving an exact timeline. The plan said some investment proposals and ideas have been crafted by international groups, which were not identified.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) and a joint statement by multiple Muslim-majority countries said they welcomed Trump's efforts to the end the war in Gaza.
What recent rengagement has Blair had on Gaza
Late last month, Blair visited the White House to meet Trump. The Tony Blair Institute think-tank has said it "has had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza."
What do critics and Palestinians say about Blair's involvement?
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, told the Washington Post, "We've been under British colonialism already. He has a negative reputation here. If you mention Tony Blair, the first thing people mention is the Iraq war."
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said: "Tony Blair? Hell no. Hands off Palestine."
What did Blair say?
Blair's statement on Monday called Trump's idea a "bold and intelligent plan." He expressed support to Trump for proposing to lead the board that would supervise the panel of Gaza's interim governance.
Context
Images of starving Palestinians have sparked global outrage against Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and internally displaced Gaza's entire population. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say it amounts to genocide - an accusation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies.
Israel calls its actions self-defence after the October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and in which more than 250 were taken hostage
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Billionaire Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin has launched NASA’s twin ESCAPADE satellites to Mars on Sunday, marking the second flight of its New Glenn rocket, a mission seen as a crucial test of the company’s reusability ambitions and a fresh challenge to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
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Russia said its forces have captured the village of Rybne in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, though Kyiv has not confirmed the claim. Ukraine’s military says it repelled multiple Russian assaults nearby amid ongoing heavy fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned a massive Russian attack involving 450 drones and 45 missiles, targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He called for stronger sanctions against Russia’s energy sector to help end the war.
Two trains crashed in Slovakia on Sunday evening after one ran into the back of the other, injuring dozens of passengers, police and the country's interior minister said.
Typhoon Fung-wong ravaged the northern Philippines overnight, killing at least two people and cutting off some towns as residents emerged on Monday morning.
The number of people confirmed dead after a boat carrying members of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya community sank near the Thailand-Malaysia border rose to 11 on Monday, authorities said.
Indonesia is set to award the title of national hero on Monday to late President Suharto, who was forced out of office in 1998 by violent protests that ended a three-decade rule marred by accusations of mass human rights violations.
Flight cancellations and delays soared to new heights on Sunday as the U.S. government shutdown pushed air traffic controller shortages to critical levels. With Thanksgiving approaching, air travel is expected to be severely impacted if the shutdown continues.
Three drones were detected over Belgium's Doel nuclear power plant on Sunday evening, though operations were unaffected according to officials. This incident comes after a similar disruption at Liege airport, marking an ongoing wave of drone-related interruptions across the country.
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