Prime Minister Mark Carney has been requested by U.S. President Donald Trump to join the “Board of Peace,” overseeing temporary governance in the Gaza Strip, as confirmed by a senior Canadian official accompanying the prime minister on his international visit. Carney is set to accept the invitation extended to him.
As per a U.S.-backed arrangement approved by Israel and Hamas, an international board will supervise a Palestinian technocratic body during a transitional phase. The members of the board were disclosed by the White House, with notable figures such as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Trump serves as the chair of the board, as outlined in the plan unveiled late last year.
Egypt is currently evaluating an invitation for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to join the board, as mentioned by Egypt’s foreign affairs minister to the media. Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has received a letter from Trump, inviting him to participate in the board, according to the Turkish presidency.
The board composition also includes individuals such as private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga, Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan, and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, as indicated by the White House. Nickolay Mladenov, a former United Nations Middle East envoy, has been appointed as the high representative for Gaza within the board.
Although the White House did not specify the roles of individual members in their statement, Carney’s name was notably absent from the announcement. Concerns have been raised by rights experts and advocates regarding the potential colonial implications of Trump leading a board overseeing a foreign territory’s governance. Blair’s involvement has also faced criticism, attributed to his role in the Iraq war in the past.
Maj.-Gen. Jasper Jeffers, a former U.S. special operations commander, has been designated as the commander of the International Stabilization Force, confirmed by the White House. The establishment of this force in Gaza was authorized by a UN Security Council resolution passed in mid-November, in coordination with the Board of Peace and cooperating countries.