• The board would include a chair, at least one Palestinian representative, senior UN officials, and ‘leading international figures with executive and financial expertise’

• Under the plan, the Palestinian Executive Authority – a body distinct from the Palestinian Authority – would manage daily life but remain subordinate to GITA’s board and executive secretariat

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end Israel’s war on Gaza has ignited both praise and skepticism worldwide, not least because it mirrors elements of a leaked draft by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Announced at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump’s 20-point plan calls for an end to hostilities, the release of hostages, and the creation of a transitional authority to govern Gaza.

His plan centers on a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” overseen by a new body called the Board of Peace, chaired by Trump himself and featuring high-profile international figures, including Blair.

A 21-page draft of Blair’s proposal, leaked before Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington and widely circulated since, shows that both plans have points of convergence and differences.

It outlines the creation of the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA) – an interim administration – and shows Blair, long a controversial figure in Middle East diplomacy, reportedly positioned to chair the body, which would wield sweeping executive, legal, and political power over Gaza during the transition period.

What is GITA?

According to the leaked document, GITA would be established by a UN Security Council resolution as the sole governing authority for Gaza during the transitional period.

A seven-to-ten-member international board would exercise “supreme political and legal authority,” reporting back to the Security Council.

The board would include a chair, at least one Palestinian representative – potentially from the business or security sector – and senior UN officials, with Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch politician serving as the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, cited as an example.

It would also have “leading international figures with executive and financial expertise,” with three names cited as candidates: American billionaire Marc Rowan, Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, and Aryeh Lightstone, CEO of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute.

The board would also feature “strong representation of Muslim members to ensure regional legitimacy and cultural credibility.”

GITA would initially operate from El-Arish, Egypt, coordinating with Israeli and Egyptian officials, while its main administrative hub could be based in Amman or Cairo. The proposed budget rises from $90 million in the first year to $164 million by the third.

The plan emphasizes coordination with Egypt, Israel, the US, and other partners to secure borders, manage humanitarian access, and prevent renewed conflict.

How would it function and who would lead it?

Under the proposal, the GITA International Board would appoint commissioners and supervise Gaza’s administration through an “executive secretariat,” responsible for daily governance and coordination.

Oversight commissioners would cover humanitarian relief, reconstruction, security, justice, and Palestinian engagement.

At the base of the structure would be the Palestinian Executive Authority, a body distinct from the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Its role would be limited to delivering essential services such as health, education, civil policing, and infrastructure, under strict supervision.

Several reports suggest Blair is being positioned as GITA’s chairman, effectively placing him at the helm of Gaza’s transitional administration. The chairman would act as the principal spokesperson and strategic coordinator, engage with donors, and lead high-level security diplomacy with Israel, Egypt, and the US.

Haaretz quoted an Arab political source as saying the US has already drafted plans to appoint Blair. His inclusion, however, is controversial. Blair’s legacy from the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and his reputation in the Arab world – where many consider him complicit in war crimes – fuel deep mistrust.

Even so, the leaked draft stresses that the chairman must be endorsed by the UN Security Council to legitimize GITA’s mandate.

What role will Palestinians have?

Despite references to Palestinian involvement, the absence of named Palestinian leaders raises concerns that their role will be symbolic rather than substantive.

Under the plan, the Palestinian Executive Authority would manage daily life but remain subordinate to GITA’s board and executive secretariat.

Critics argue this arrangement risks sidelining Palestinian political agency while cementing international and Israeli control over Gaza’s future.

Overall, Trump’s Oval Office plan shares some structural ideas with Blair’s blueprint – particularly the concept of a transitional authority and the inclusion of Blair himself. But where Trump envisions a smaller, apolitical Palestinian committee under his Board of Peace, Blair’s GITA draft outlines a much larger, highly centralized apparatus with sweeping powers.