A new body meant to remake a shattered coastline is being stitched together in Washington, and already its seams are showing. Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long cultivated the image of seamless alignment with Donald Trump, has publicly rebuked the arrangement, objecting that the Gaza executive committee was assembled without Israeli consultation and includes figures he sees as too close to Hamas. Behind the diplomatic language lies a familiar human question: who gets to decide the future of a land that two years of war have left largely in ruins, and whether a peace drafted in distant rooms can
Trump Advances Gaza Peace Board as Netanyahu Objects to Turkish and Qatari Roles on Executive Panel
Gaza has been largely destroyed by two years of war between Israel and Hamas, and the last hostage's remains have not yet been returned.
A rare open disagreement with Trump from the Israeli leader
Mark
Why does this objection matter so much? Governments disagree all the time.
Mimi
Because Netanyahu has consistently framed his ties with Trump as unity and full coordination. Saying publicly that an announcement was not coordinated and runs contrary to Israeli policy is a rare break.
Mark
What exactly is he objecting to?
Mimi
The second executive committee, the one expected to do most of the work in Gaza. It includes Turkey's foreign minister and Qatar's Ali Al Thawadi. Netanyahu sees both countries as too close to Hamas.
Luke
Worth separating things there. Netanyahu's office stated its objection, and that is on the record. That Turkey and Qatar are too close to Hamas is his view, and the reporting presents it as his view, not as established fact.
Mark
And the invitations going out to other leaders?
Mimi
Some are confirmed by the leaders themselves, like Milei and Carney. Others are reported through officials or state media, such as Lula and King Abdullah. Orban has accepted, per Hungary's foreign minister.
Luke
And Egypt's El-Sisi is only reported by AFP to be considering it. That is not a commitment. Also, we know who is invited, not who will actually serve or what the board can do.
Mark
What about the harder problem, Hamas?
Mimi
It holds almost half of Gaza, refuses to disarm, and hasn't returned the last hostage's remains. Israel has threatened to resume war if the stabilization force fails.
Luke
Right, and that force doesn't exist yet. No countries are confirmed as contributors, terms are unclear, and the U.S. says it won't send troops. The plan's second phase has been announced, but announcement isn't implementation.
Der Puls
- Israel's Prime Minister publicly rebuked Washington, a rare crack in a relationship he has long presented as seamless.
- The executive committee names Turkey's foreign minister and Qatar's Ali Al Thawadi, figures Netanyahu considers too close to Hamas.
- Hamas still holds nearly half of Gaza, refuses to disarm, and has not returned the last hostage's remains, stalling the ceasefire's second phase.
- A technocrat government and an International Stabilization Force are planned, yet no troop contributors have been named and the U.S. will not deploy soldiers.
- Israel has threatened to resume war if disarmament fails, leaving the next phase balanced on a sharp and uncertain edge.
A new body meant to remake a shattered coastline is being stitched together in Washington, and already its seams are showing. Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long cultivated the image of seamless alignment with Donald Trump, has publicly rebuked the arrangement, objecting that the Gaza executive committee was assembled without Israeli consultation and includes figures he sees as too close to Hamas. Behind the diplomatic language lies a familiar human question: who gets to decide the future of a land that two years of war have left largely in ruins, and whether a peace drafted in distant rooms can hold among those who have bled on the ground.
On Saturday, Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement that stood out for a leader who has worked hard to portray his ties with Donald Trump as fully coordinated. The announcement of who would sit on the Gaza Executive Board, it said, had not been coordinated with Israel and ran against its policy. Netanyahu asked his foreign minister to raise the matter with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The dispute grows out of how Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza is being assembled. Trump announced the board on social media without naming members, calling it the most prestigious ever assembled. The White House then filled in part of the picture: a first executive panel with Rubio, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Tony Blair, and a second committee, expected to do most of the work of remaking Gaza, that includes Turkey's foreign minister and Qatar's Ali Al Thawadi. Netanyahu sees Qatar and Turkey as too close to Hamas to reshape the territory the way Israel wants.
Invitations to the wider board are circulating. Argentina's Javier Milei and Canada's Mark Carney have said they will be founding members, and several other leaders have been invited or are weighing participation. The board is meant to carry out Trump's 20-point plan for a long transformation of Gaza, which two years of war have left mostly destroyed. Despite Israeli misgivings, the administration has announced the start of the plan's second phase, including a 15-member technocrat government meant to replace Hamas rule.
On the ground, the picture remains unsettled. Hamas controls almost half the Strip, refuses to disarm, and has not returned the remains of the last hostage taken in October 2023. An International Stabilization Force is slated to follow, but it is unclear which countries would contribute troops or on what terms. Israel has threatened to resume the war if that force fails to disarm Hamas, while Washington insists on full demilitarization. Whether that force materializes, and whether Israel acts on its threat, are the next things to watch.
On Saturday, Benjamin Netanyahu's office put out a statement that was unusual for a leader who has worked hard to present his relationship with Donald Trump as one of full coordination. The announcement of who would sit on the Gaza Executive Board, it said, had not been coordinated with Israel and ran contrary to its policy. Netanyahu asked his foreign minister to raise the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The dispute centers on how Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza is being assembled. Trump announced the board on Thursday on social media without naming anyone on it, calling it the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled. On Friday the White House filled in part of the picture. A first executive panel would include Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair. Witkoff and Kushner are also closely involved in Ukrainian peace talks.
The White House also named a second executive committee, expected to do most of the work of remaking Gaza. It includes Turkey's foreign minister and a Qatari diplomat, identified on Sunday as Ali Al Thawadi, minister for strategic affairs in the prime minister's office. This is the panel Netanyahu objects to. He considers Qatar and Turkey too close to Hamas and unlikely to reshape the coastal strip the way Israel wants.
Meanwhile, invitations to the broader board have been going out. Argentine President Javier Milei and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Saturday that they will be founding members. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also invited, according to the head of his communications office. AFP reported that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi was weighing whether to take part. A Brazilian official said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was invited, and Jordan's state-run Petra News Agency said King Abdullah II was too. Hungary's foreign minister said Viktor Orban accepted on Sunday. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy was asked as well, telling reporters in Seoul that she believes Italy can play a leading role and is ready to do its part.
In the invitation Milei shared, Trump wrote that the effort would bring together nations ready to shoulder the responsibility of building lasting peace, and that the partners would convene in the near future. The board's chief executive, Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, was tapped earlier.
The board is meant to carry out Trump's 20-point plan for a sweeping and possibly decades-long transformation of Gaza, which two years of war between Israel and Hamas have left mostly destroyed. Despite Israeli misgivings about the sequencing, the administration has announced the start of the plan's second phase, including a 15-member technocrat government to replace Hamas rule in the territory.
The ground realities remain unsettled. Hamas still controls almost half of Gaza and refuses to disarm. The group has yet to return the remains of the last hostage taken in the October 2023 attacks, a key part of the first phase. The ceasefire dates to mid-October, and Hamas has shown no inclination to lay down its weapons since.
An International Stabilization Force of soldiers from several nations is slated to follow later. It is unclear which countries might contribute or on what terms, and the U.S. has said it will not put troops in Gaza. Israel has threatened to resume the war if that force fails to persuade or compel Hamas to disarm, while the Trump administration says it is determined to achieve full demilitarization of the entire Strip. What happens with the stabilization force, and whether Israel acts on its threat, are the next things to watch.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.— Netanyahu's office
Italy can play a leading role and is ready to do its part in building the peace plan.— Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
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