Former Prime Minister of the UK, Sir Tony Blair, is engaged in talks regarding his potential role in leading a transitional authority in Gaza following the war, as reported by the BBC.
This initiative, believed to have support from the White House, would place Blair at the helm of a governing authority with backing from the UN and Gulf states, before returning governance to the Palestinian people.
His representatives stated he would oppose any plan that results in the displacement of Gaza’s residents.
Sir Tony, who was instrumental in the UK’s involvement in the Iraq War in 2003, has participated in high-level discussions with the US and various stakeholders regarding the future landscape of Gaza.
In August, he attended a White House meeting alongside Trump to explore plans for the region, which US envoy Steve Witkoff deemed “very comprehensive”, although few details were unveiled from that discussion.
There are reports suggesting that Blair may lead the Gaza International Transitional Authority (Gita), according to sources in the Economist and Israeli outlets. This authority would aim to secure a UN mandate to act as Gaza’s “supreme political and legal authority” for five years.
The strategy is expected to emulate the international administrations that guided East Timor and Kosovo’s transitions to statehood. Initially, it would be stationed in Egypt, adjacent to Gaza’s southern border, and would enter Gaza once the area is deemed secure, escorted by a multinational force.
As Prime Minister, Blair made the decision to commit British troops to the 2003 Iraq War, which faced significant criticism during the official inquiry into the conflict, revealing he acted based on misguided intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction.
After his tenure ended in 2007, Blair took on the role of Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international players (the US, EU, Russia, and UN), concentrating on fostering economic growth in Palestine and paving the way for a two-state resolution.
Discussions regarding his potential involvement in Gaza’s transitional authority have surfaced following Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s statement on Thursday expressing his willingness to collaborate with Trump and global leaders to realize a two-state peace framework.
Abbas reiterated his opposition to any future governing position for Hamas in Gaza and called for its disarmament.
Throughout the ongoing conflict, different proposals for Gaza’s future have emerged from various entities.
In February, Donald Trump proposed plans – which now seem to have been abandoned – suggesting a “long-term ownership position” for the US in Gaza, claiming it could become the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
This concept would have entailed the enforced relocation of Palestinians from the area, breaching international law. Both the US and Israel indicated that it would involve “voluntary” migration.
In March, the US and Israel dismissed an Arab initiative for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction, which would enable the 2.1 million Palestinians residing there to remain. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas approved the Arab proposition, which called for temporary governance of Gaza by a committee of independent experts and the deployment of international peacekeepers.
In July, an international conference led by France and Saudi Arabia in New York proposed a “transitional administrative committee” for Gaza to function “under the Palestinian Authority’s umbrella”. The initiative saw no participation from the US or Israel. This so-called New York Declaration received overwhelming support from a UN General Assembly resolution earlier this month.
Earlier this week, the UK officially acknowledged the State of Palestine, joining France, Canada, Australia, and a few other nations.
The UK and several others reiterated their calls for a two-state resolution, which would establish an independent Palestine in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem serving as its capital, coexisting alongside Israel.
Israel and the US criticized this stance, labeling it a “reward for Hamas”.
In response to the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages, the Israeli military initiated a campaign in Gaza.
Since then, at least 65,502 individuals have died due to Israeli strikes in Gaza, as reported by the Hamas-controlled health ministry. A UN inquiry has declared that Israel has engaged in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim Israel refutes.
