Tony Blair

The Palestinian officials said that a Western board administering the Gaza Strip would be a return to the days of the British Mandate.

Alastair Campbell, who worked with Blair as spokesman, press secretary, and director of communications and strategy, says that Blair "can’t accept that some places are destined to be at war forever."

The Board of Peace will get up and running quickly, Trump said, but he sounded uncertain about whether Blair would be well received by everyone involved.

Trump’s current goal is to demilitarize Hamas, establish a new civilian administration in Gaza, and maintain the ceasefire under international supervision.

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world

"Trump and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu call this a peace plan, but it’s nothing more than a blueprint for permanent occupation," Benjamin said in a video.

With decades of Middle East diplomacy and global conflict mediation, Blair emerges as a leading candidate to guide Gaza’s postwar reconstruction.

What is on the table?

Tony Blair suggested a transitional Gaza government, with support from Trump allies, would bring post-war stability.

Blair has been closely involved with the Israel-Palestinian issue for a quarter of a century. His experience of the Middle East is unrivaled.

Opponents see the effort as a threat to judicial independence; supporters see it as restoring parliamentary supremacy. Compromise is not only desirable but possible and essential.