The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a critical statement on Saturday, January 17. The document states that the composition of the executive council for governing the Gaza Strip, unveiled by the White House, was not agreed upon with the Jerusalem side and directly contradicts the official policy of the Israeli government. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
Although the official statement does not specify the particular names to which there are objections, the key stumbling block is considered to be the presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the council. Israel has repeatedly emphasized the unacceptability of Ankara's participation in the processes of governing the enclave due to its stance on the conflict.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has already been instructed to discuss this issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Who joined the Executive Council
The council, presented by the Donald Trump administration, is intended to be an instrument for implementing the second phase of the American peace plan. In addition to Hakan Fidan, its members include:
- Sigrid Kaag – UN Special Coordinator;
- Yakır Gabay – Israeli-Cypriot billionaire businessman;
- a representative of the UAE (a country that normalized relations with Israel in 2020);
- high-ranking officials from Qatar and Egypt.
"Peace Council" chaired by Trump
In parallel, the White House announced the composition of the supreme body – the "Peace Council," which will be personally headed by Donald Trump. Its task will be strategic control over the transitional technocratic administration in Gaza. Among the key figures of this structure are:
- Marco Rubio (US Secretary of State);
- Steve Witkoff (Special Envoy to the Middle East);
- Jared Kushner (Trump's son-in-law and architect of the "Abraham Accords").
This decision was not coordinated with Israel and contradicts the policy of our government
They also added that Israel insists on the full demilitarization of the enclave before transferring power to any civilian structures.
White House announces composition of executive "Peace Council" for Gaza: who is in it17.01.26, 02:33