In a move that’s already stirring debate across international capitals, President Donald Trump announced the creation of a new international body on Monday—dubbed the "Board of Peace"—that will temporarily oversee the administration of Gaza, provided Hamas agrees to a sweeping new American peace plan. The announcement, delivered from the White House on September 29, 2025, marks the latest bid to end nearly two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas and signals a dramatic return to the diplomatic stage for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Trump, who will chair the Board of Peace himself, named Blair as its first member. The president described Blair as a “good man. Very good man,” and teased that “everybody wants to be on it,” though only he and Blair have been confirmed so far. Other leaders from around the world are expected to join the board in the coming weeks. According to Trump, the board will be responsible for recruiting and training a new government for Gaza, made up of Palestinians alongside highly qualified international experts. “Working with the World Bank and others, it will be responsible for recruiting and training a new government that will be made up of Palestinians along with highly qualified experts from all along the world,” Trump said, as reported by ZUMAPRESS.com.
The plan, a 20-point framework, aims for a comprehensive ceasefire, the demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, and a process for returning hostages and prisoners. According to the BBC, the White House’s proposal was formally handed to Hamas representatives, and a senior official from the group said they remain open to any proposals that could end the war—so long as Palestinian interests are protected, Israeli troops withdraw fully from Gaza, and the war is brought to a close. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already warned that if Hamas rejects the proposal, he will “finish the job,” with Trump’s “full support.”
Blair, now 72, is no stranger to the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After leaving Downing Street in 2007, he served as the Quartet’s special envoy in the Middle East, representing the United Nations, European Union, Russia, and the United States. His focus has long been on economic development for Palestine and the creation of conditions for a two-state solution. Blair’s think tank, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, has commissioned polls since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The findings, published in May, show that most Palestinians in Gaza reject Hamas but wish to live independently from Israel. Blair’s group argued that this “underlines the urgency of establishing a new reality for Gaza, and of providing Palestinians with a better future with ultimate agency to govern themselves, free from interference from Israel, and one that forges a path ultimately towards a two-state solution.”
Blair himself has been actively meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders, as well as White House aides, for several months to discuss post-war plans for Gaza. In August 2025, he attended a high-level White House meeting with Trump on the future of the territory. US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff called the plans “very comprehensive,” although few details were released at the time.
Blair’s appointment, however, is not without controversy. His legacy as the UK’s leader during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq—based on intelligence about weapons of mass destruction that proved flawed—remains contentious. As the BBC noted, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting remarked that Blair’s involvement “will raise some eyebrows” given his record on Iraq. Yet, Streeting also pointed to Blair’s crucial role in brokering the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which helped end Northern Ireland’s Troubles. “If he can bring those considerable skills there, in both diplomacy and state craft,” Streeting said, “that can only be a good thing.”
Under the Trump plan, the war would “immediately end” once both sides agree. All 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of more than two dozen believed dead would be returned within 72 hours. Israel would then release 250 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained since the war began on October 7, 2023. The plan also guarantees “full aid” will be sent to Gaza, and a multinational stabilization force will deploy to support security and train local police. Israeli forces would withdraw in stages, and a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee would temporarily govern Gaza, with oversight from the Board of Peace. The committee would consist of qualified Palestinians and international experts, according to the plan’s text.
Importantly, the plan states that Hamas would have “no role in governance, directly, indirectly, or in any form.” The framework leaves the door open to an eventual Palestinian state, but only if the Palestinian Authority undertakes sweeping reforms. Trump also took aim at countries that recently recognized Palestinian statehood—such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and France—calling their actions “foolish.”
Blair has been unequivocal in his support for the initiative. In a statement, he called Trump’s plan “bold and intelligent” and “the best chance” to bring about peace in the region. “President Trump has put down a bold and intelligent plan which, if agreed, can end the war, bring immediate relief to Gaza, the chance of a brighter and better future for its people, while ensuring Israel’s absolute and enduring security and the release of all hostages,” Blair said, as reported by ZUMAPRESS.com. “It offers us the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering, and I thank President Trump for his leadership, determination and commitment.” He added that Trump’s willingness to chair the Board of Peace “is a huge signal of support and confidence in the future of Gaza, of the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians finding a path to peace, and of the potential for a broader regional and global alliance to counter the forces of extremism and promote peace and prosperity between nations.”
Still, the proposal faces significant hurdles. While Israel has agreed to the peace framework, Hamas has not, and the group’s leadership insists that any deal must ensure Palestinian self-determination and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. On the humanitarian front, the situation remains dire. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported more than 66,000 deaths since the Israeli campaign began, and a UN-backed body recently confirmed that famine is taking place in Gaza City. Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza—an allegation Israel vehemently denies.
The Trump-Blair initiative marks a sharp departure from earlier ideas floated by the Trump administration. In February, Trump declared that the US would take over the Gaza Strip and transform it into a “riviera of the Middle East”—a plan that would have involved the forced displacement of Palestinians and was condemned by Blair’s office as contrary to international law.
As the world watches and waits, the fate of the Board of Peace—and the people of Gaza—hangs in the balance. Whether this bold new plan will finally bring relief to a war-weary region remains to be seen, but for now, it’s clear that the diplomatic chessboard has been reset, and all eyes are on what happens next.
