Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a direct and tense conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, despite an earlier public statement indicating that the matter would be handled by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Saturday night that Netanyahu had instructed Sa’ar to raise Israel’s objections with Rubio over the announcement of the board’s members. However, Channel 12 is reporting that Netanyahu himself spoke directly with Rubio, managing the contacts with Washington personally while presenting Sa’ar as leading the dialogue due to the political and public sensitivity of the issue.
The report stated that Netanyahu’s primary criticism during the conversation centered on the public release of the announcement, which had not been coordinated in advance with Israel, rather than on the identities of the board members themselves.
Two sources familiar with the details of the conversation told Channel 12 that Rubio made it clear there was no intention to reverse the decision, and that Qatar and Turkey would take part in the post-war “day after" arrangements in Gaza through their roles in the executive board. Netanyahu reportedly expressed reservations but understood that Israel’s room for maneuver was limited once the move had been publicly presented.
The executive board, also described as an international executive council operating under the Board of Peace, is expected to include senior international figures. According to the report, it will assign defined portfolios to its members, including Gaza stabilization, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment promotion, large-scale financing, and capital mobilization.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated: “Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed Foreign Minister Sa’ar to address this matter with the US Secretary of State. At the same time, the Prime Minister held a conversation with the Secretary of State, with whom he maintains ongoing contact."