DaysofPal – Israeli occupation authorities announced on Saturday evening that the United States’ declaration of the composition of the Gaza Strip’s executive council was made without prior coordination with Israel, describing the move as contrary to its policies.
The statement was issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which instructed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to contact US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address the matter. Israeli media described the statement as signaling an open confrontation between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan 11, Netanyahu’s office declined to provide details explaining its opposition to the announced council’s composition. The report noted, however, that the prime minister has placed responsibility on his foreign minister, whose office had reportedly been in coordination with the Trump administration regarding the announcement of the executive council.
Reacting to the development, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said, “For a year I have been telling the government: if you do not make progress on the Egyptian solution with the United States and the international community, you will end up with Turkey and Qatar in Gaza.” He described the situation as a “grave political failure” by Netanyahu’s government following what he called the sacrifices of Israeli soldiers and military commanders.
The Israeli response comes a day after the White House announced the composition of the founding executive council of the so-called “Peace Council,” including the Gaza executive council, in support of the office of the newly appointed High Representative, Nikolay Mladenov, and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
The founding executive council includes several high-profile figures, among them US President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and American billionaire investor Marc Rowan.
Other names reportedly proposed for involvement include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy, Cypriot-Israeli billionaire Yaki Gabay, UN humanitarian and Gaza reconstruction coordinator Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands, and Qatari Minister of State for Strategic Affairs Ali Al-Thawadi.
The founding executive council of the “Peace Council,” chaired by President Trump, also includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and US Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.
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