Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has proposed leading a transitional governing authority in Gaza following the end of the Israel-Hamas war, according to reports by The Telegraph and The Economist.
The plan, developed through the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), involves the creation of a temporary administration called the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA). GITA would be established under United Nations auspices and serve as the governing authority in post-war Gaza for several years before transferring control to the Palestinian Authority (PA), pending internal reforms.
Blair, 72, reportedly offered to head the interim body on the condition that it would eventually return power to the Palestinian Authority. According to The Economist, Blair is prepared to devote his time to implementing the proposal.
The initiative has garnered support from Jared Kushner, former adviser to President Donald Trump, and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy. The two presented the plan during a meeting with Trump at the White House on August 27.
Trump endorsed the idea and later raised it during discussions with leaders from Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and five Arab states at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. "Maybe we can end [the war] right now," Trump reportedly said.
Blair previously served as the special envoy of the Middle East Quartet, comprising the UN, US, EU, and Russia, until 2015. A spokesperson for Blair declined to comment on the reports.
Drafts of the GITA plan indicate that the body would act as the “supreme political and legal authority for Gaza” during the transitional period. The board would include senior UN officials, international business leaders, at least one Palestinian representative, and Muslim representation. The plan does not call for the displacement of Gaza’s population.
TBI-conducted surveys indicated that more than 25% of Gazans supported some form of international involvement in post-war governance, with about one-third supporting a role for the PA.
Hamas has called for some representation
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the PA is “ready” to assume responsibility for governance and security in Gaza. Hamas has called for some representation in non-military roles, including education.
Sources told The Economist that the proposed model is inspired by international administrations used in East Timor and Kosovo. The authority could be based in El-Arish, Egypt, near Gaza’s southern border.
Trump reportedly gave Blair two weeks to seek regional backing for the plan, with a particular focus on securing support from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has stated that any post-war roadmap must include a path to Palestinian statehood, a condition that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected.
Israel has not endorsed the return of the PA to Gaza but is reported to have engaged “constructively” with the plan. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently described Gaza as a “real estate bonanza” and said he had discussed the region’s future with US officials.