The Prime Minister’s Office said Saturday night that the announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Peace Council, which is subordinate to the peace conference, was made without coordination with Israel and contradicts Israeli policy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to raise the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the government, saying: “For a year I have warned that if the government does not advance the Egyptian solution with the United States and the international community, Turkey and Qatar will end up influencing Gaza. Last night the makeup of the so-called ‘Peace Council’ was revealed. Turkey is included, Qatar is included, and according to the IDF Hamas still has 30,000 fighters in Gaza. This represents a complete diplomatic failure by the Netanyahu government, wasting the immense courage and sacrifice of IDF soldiers and commanders."
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday night the members of the Peace Council that will oversee the Gaza Strip. According to Trump, who will chair the body, its members include U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff; his son-in-law Jared Kushner; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; former British prime minister Tony Blair; businessman Mark Rowan; World Bank President Ajay Banga; and U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.
The Turkish president’s office said Trump sent a letter to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inviting him to join the Peace Council, which is intended to supervise the interim administration in Gaza.