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Source: BBC
Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair is involved in discussions to lead a transitional governing body in Gaza after the current conflict ends, the BBC has reported. The proposal, said to have backing from the White House, envisions a temporary international authority supported by the UN and Gulf nations, with the aim of eventually handing control back to the Palestinians.
Blair’s office stated that he would not support any plan that involves the displacement of Gaza’s population.
According to reports in The Economist and Israeli media, the body could be named the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA) and seek a UN mandate to act as the “supreme political and legal authority” in the territory for up to five years. The model draws from past international efforts in East Timor and Kosovo. Initially headquartered in Egypt, GITA would enter Gaza with a multinational force once stability is restored.
Blair, who served as UK Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007 and took the country into the Iraq War in 2003, has participated in high-level planning meetings, including a White House session in August attended by former U.S. President Donald Trump. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff described those talks as “very comprehensive,” though few details have emerged publicly.
After leaving office, Blair acted as Middle East envoy for the Quartet (the US, EU, UN, and Russia), working to support Palestinian economic development and the two-state solution.
International Reactions and Competing Proposals
The proposal comes as the future governance of Gaza remains deeply contested. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently expressed willingness to work with Trump and other global leaders on a two-state solution, while rejecting any future role for Hamas and calling for its disarmament.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, a series of proposals have been floated by international actors:
- Trump’s earlier plan for the US to take a “long-term ownership position” in Gaza and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” was widely condemned and appears to have been dropped.
- An Arab-led plan, welcomed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, proposed international peacekeepers and governance by independent Palestinian experts. It was rejected by the US and Israel.
- A July conference in New York, spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia, called for a transitional committee under the Palestinian Authority. The proposal gained UN General Assembly backing, though the US and Israel did not attend.
Recognition of Palestine and Tensions with Israel
Earlier this week, the UK joined France, Canada, Australia, and other nations in formally recognising the State of Palestine. The move, hailed by many as a step towards peace, was strongly criticised by Israel and the US, who described it as a “reward for Hamas.”
The Gaza war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage. Since then, over 65,500 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. A UN inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide—a claim Israel has firmly denied.
