Whitkoff and Kushner will also join the Council, which will be chaired by Trump.
Tony Blair led the Labour Party government of Britain from 1997-2007. Photo: Tong Yu/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
The Trump administration has named U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as two of the founders of the "Peace Council" for Gaza, reports the BBC.
Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Whitkoff, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will also join the executive council, the White House said in a statement on Friday.
Trump will serve as chairman of the council, which is part of his 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.
The council is expected to temporarily take over governance of Gaza and coordinate its reconstruction. The executive council also includes Mark Rowan, head of a private investment firm, World Bank chief Ajay Banga, and U.S. National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.
As stated by the White House, each member of the Council will be given an area of responsibility "critical to the stabilization of Gaza and its long-term success."
On Thursday, Trump announced that the council had already been established, calling it "the greatest and most prestigious council."
The White House stated that additional members of the council would be named in the coming weeks.
Tony Blair served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. After leaving office, he served as the Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (USA, EU, Russia, and UN).
The establishment of the Gaza Peace Council follows the creation of the 15-member National Committee for Gaza Governance (NCAG), tasked with the day-to-day administration of post-war Gaza.
The new committee will be chaired by Ali Shaath, former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the occupied West Bank not controlled by Israel.
Bulgarian politician and former UN Special Envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, will be the Council's representative directly in Gaza and will work in conjunction with the NCAG.
Trump's plan also includes the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces. The White House stated that American Major General Jasper Jeffers would lead these forces with the goal of "ensuring security, maintaining peace, and creating a stable environment free of terrorism."
The American peace plan came into effect in October and has already entered its second phase, but many unresolved questions remain regarding the future of Gaza and the 2.1 million Palestinians residing there.
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