Sir Tony Blair reportedly wants to run an interim Gaza government when the war between Israel and Hamas ends.
The former prime minister aims to step in temporarily to lead the troubled region, intending to eventually pass control back to the Palestinian Authority, which governed the area until 2006.
This initiative, promoted by his think tank, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), reportedly garners backing from prominent allies of Donald Trump, such as his son-in-law and former Middle East adviser Jared Kushner, along with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East.
These supporters are said to have advocated for Mr. Blair’s proposal during a recent meeting with the US President. They introduced the plan to several countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and five Arab nations, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
The proposal involves Mr. Blair leading an entity called the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA), envisioned as the leading political and legal body in Gaza for a period of five years.
Initially, GITA’s headquarters could be set up in el-Arish, the capital of the North Sinai region of Egypt, located near Gaza’s southern border. A multinational security force would accompany GITA into the area.
Funded by the Gulf states, Mr Blair would head a secretariat of up to 25 people and lead a seven-person board.
Following this initial phase, Gaza and the West Bank would be reunified, with the Palestinian Authority regaining control after implementing substantial reforms.
Sir Tony Blairs reportedly wants to run an interim Gaza government when the war between Israel and Hamas ends
The former prime minister wants to temporarily run the besieged territory before handing it over to the Palestinian Authority, who previously controlled it until 2006
‘He’s willing to sacrifice his time. He genuinely wants to end the war,’ a source close to Mr Blair told the Economist.
Mr Blair made multiple trips to the Middle East following the outbreak of war in Gaza and his think tank soon started drafting plans for a post-war mandate.
Until 2015 the former prime minister was the special envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, a group comprising the UN, the US, the EU and Russia who mediate the Israel-Palestine peace process.
His plan would reportedly be based on the international administrations that were in place when Kosovo and East Timor transitioned into statehood.
It would not involve the displacement of Gazans, while GITA would have at least one Palestinian representative on its board, alongside strong representation from Muslim members and senior UN figures.
The Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas since 2005, governed Gaza before Hamas took control in 2007.
Mr Abbas said his administration was ‘ready’ to take control of ‘governance and security’, insisting Hamas would be excluded from any future governing.
While his aides have warned that Mr Blair’s plan could turn into an occupation.
Hamas also want to maintain some control over education and healthcare in the strip.
The plan, which is being fronted by his think thank, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), is said to have the support of Donald Trump’s key allies
Meanwhile, surveys by TBI show that more than a quarter of Gaza would prefer international involvement in their government when the war ends.
Israel has rejected any involvement from the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza but is said to have engaged ‘constructively’ with Mr Blair’s plan.
Mr Trump was reportedly keen for Mr Blair to gain support of Saudi Arabia, a regional super power who could prove crucial to any post-war plan.
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman wants a post-war settlement to lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.
But the existence of a Palestinian state alongside Israel has been repeatedly rejected by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
And Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich this month claimed Gaza could become a real estate ‘bonanza’, adding that he was in talks with the US about dividing up the territory.
The Tony Blair Institute has been contacted for comment.
