Israel lodged an unusually direct diplomatic protest against Washington over the weekend, reacting to the Biden administration’s announcement of a new international executive body that would supervise the post-ceasefire transition in Gaza. The Prime Minister’s office said the committee, referred to as the “Gaza Executive Board,” had not been coordinated with Israeli officials and conflicted with the government’s approach to the conflict’s next phase.
The U.S. on Friday revealed an extensive roster of political figures, diplomats, and international business leaders tapped to shape reconstruction plans and monitor ceasefire terms. The list included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior Trump adviser Jared Kushner, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel, and Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay.
Ankara and Doha’s participation quickly became the most contentious element for Israeli policymakers. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari representative Ali al-Thawadi were named to the board, prompting claims from Israeli officials that both governments would seek to preserve Hamas as a political actor in Gaza. Relations between Jerusalem and Ankara have remained strained for years, worsened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s public support for Hamas and his harsh criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu directed his foreign ministry to engage Secretary Rubio on the matter, signaling a diplomatic effort to shape the board’s mandate before it becomes operational. The White House has framed the body as the pilot phase of a broader Trump-backed peace governance structure, informally described by U.S. officials as a forthcoming “Board of Peace.” Separate Palestinian administrators, tasked with handling local civilian affairs under the board’s supervision, met for the first time this week in Cairo. Hamas has stated its civilian administration in Gaza will stand down once the new Palestinian committee formally takes over, though it has offered no commitment regarding its armed factions.
The dispute emerges as the U.S.-negotiated truce moves into a sensitive implementation stage involving an international security presence, demobilization benchmarks for militant groups, and extensive reconstruction funding for Gaza’s devastated infrastructure. The ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, after the deadliest confrontation between Israel and Hamas since the group’s formation. Phase one of the agreement centered on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian relief missions.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths, most of them civilians, and more than 250 abductions. Israel’s months-long military campaign in Gaza has since left over 71,400 Palestinians dead, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, whose tallies are generally treated as credible by international agencies.
Political tempers flared inside Israel following the U.S. announcement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged an immediate shift back to military operations, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accused foreign mediators of facilitating Hamas’ endurance. -Opposition leader Yair Lapid argued that Turkey’s participation represented a damaging diplomatic oversight by Netanyahu’s coalition. Meanwhile, Palestinian Islamic Jihad criticized the committee from the opposite angle, suggesting it was built to accommodate Israeli priorities rather than Palestinian interests.
As diplomatic negotiations continue, analysts note that the committee’s composition – rather than its formal mandate – may define its early legitimacy, shaping whether the fragile ceasefire transitions into a lasting political settlement or retreats back into conflict.
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