Israel objects to US-backed Gaza oversight committee, calls move uncoordinated
Israel criticised the White House for announcing a Gaza executive committee it says was not coordinated with Jerusalem. The committee will oversee the next phase of the ceasefire plan.
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By Torontoer Staff
Israel publicly objected to the White House announcement of an executive committee tasked with overseeing Gaza's next steps, saying the move was not coordinated with Jerusalem and runs contrary to Israeli policy. The rare public rebuke underscores tensions between the two close allies as the ceasefire enters a complex second phase.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the foreign ministry to contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the decision, according to an Israeli statement. The committee announced by Washington includes no official Israeli representative, though it does include an Israeli businessman, billionaire Yakir Gabay.
What the White House announced
The executive committee was presented by the White House as an oversight body for a Trump-led 'Board of Peace' that has not yet been named. The administration also announced a separate Palestinian committee intended to run Gaza's day-to-day affairs, with supervision from the executive committee.
- Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, part of executive committee
- Steve Witkoff, U.S. envoy
- Jared Kushner, senior White House adviser and presidential confidant
- Tony Blair, former British prime minister
- Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management
- Ajay Banga, World Bank president
- Robert Gabriel, Deputy U.S. National Security Adviser
- Representatives from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates
- Yakir Gabay, Israeli businessman
Why Israel objected
Israel’s government said the Gaza executive committee 'was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy.' The statement did not provide further detail on specific objections but highlighted the absence of an Israeli official on the committee.
the Gaza executive committee was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy
Israeli government statement
The announcement also drew criticism from Israeli ministers aligned with the government’s right wing. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir backed Netanyahu and urged preparation for renewed military action if needed. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on social media that 'the countries that kept Hamas alive cannot be the ones that replace it.'
the countries that kept Hamas alive cannot be the ones that replace it
Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli finance minister
Reactions across the region
Responses beyond Israel were mixed. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second-largest militant group after Hamas, said it was unhappy with the committee makeup and accused it of reflecting Israeli 'specifications.' Several regional mediators are represented on the U.S. roster, including diplomats from Qatar and Egypt, and Turkey’s foreign minister. Turkey has a strained relationship with Israel but maintains contacts with Hamas, a factor Washington and other mediators considered when forming the body.
What comes next under the ceasefire plan
The Trump administration said the ceasefire plan is moving into its second phase. Key elements described by U.S. officials include installing the Palestinian committee to manage Gaza’s civilian affairs, deploying an international security force, pursuing disarmament of Hamas, and starting reconstruction of the territory.
The ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 and its first phase focused on recovering remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees, increasing humanitarian aid and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The conflict began with the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to more than 250 hostages being taken.
Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run administration, reports more than 71,400 Palestinians killed in the conflict to date, including over 460 since the ceasefire began. U.N. agencies and independent experts generally view those records as reliable.
Practical and political challenges ahead
The committee faces immediate practical questions. Hamas has said it will dissolve its government in Gaza once the new Palestinian committee takes office, but it has not signalled a willingness to dismantle its military wing or security forces. That gap underlines the difficulty of moving from an initial ceasefire to sustainable governance and disarmament.
Coordination among international stakeholders, acceptance by Palestinian factions and agreement from Israeli leaders will all be necessary for the plan to proceed. Israel’s public objection signals that Washington will need to manage diplomatic friction even as it tries to marshal regional partners for reconstruction and security.
The dispute over the committee highlights how quickly post-conflict governance arrangements can become contentious. For now, the committees announced by Washington mark the next formal step in the process, but implementation will depend on continued diplomacy and on-the-ground developments in Gaza.
GazaIsraelUnited StatesCeasefireMiddle East
