The White House has announced the first members of its Gaza Board of Peace, and the list of names will do little to dispel the criticism from some quarters that the US president's plan resembles, at its heart, a colonial solution imposed over the heads of the Palestinians.
So far, no Palestinian names are included on the two separate senior boards that have been officially unveiled.
One is a founding Executive Board, with a high-level focus on investment and diplomacy. The other, called the Gaza Executive Board, is responsible for overseeing all on-the-ground work of yet another administrative group, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
That committee is made up of supposedly technocratic, apolitical Palestinians, led by Dr. Ali Shaath, a civil engineer by training who's held ministerial positions in the Palestinian Authority.
But of the seven members of the founding Executive Board, six are Americans, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others in Trump’s inner circle like Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank, is notable for being an Indian-born US citizen, while Sir Tony Blair’s involvement raises eyebrows given his controversial record in the Middle East.
Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in occupied Palestinian territories, criticized Blair's role, expressing skepticism about his suitability.
The announcement comes amidst significant considerations on reconstruction in Gaza, where up to 80% of structures have been damaged. Humanitarian challenges abound, as families face winter with insufficient resources.
The Biden administration aims to ensure governance and effective delivery of services in Gaza while managing tensions with Hamas, which stipulates its disarmament will only come with broader political negotiations.
As the 'Board of Peace' operates under intense scrutiny, it remains to be seen if this initiative can genuinely address the needs of the Palestinian people and pave the way for lasting peace.
