Trump invited Erdogan, Carney, and Milei to 'Peace Committee' for Gaza

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump's "Peace Committee" for post-war Gaza began to take shape yesterday, with the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, and Canada invited to join.

So far, Trump has appointed his Secretary of State Marc Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to the "Peace Committee".

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Trump appointed Rubio and Blair to 'Peace Committee' for Gaza

(Patria) - The White House announced that US President Donald Trump yesterday appointed Secretary of State Marc Rubio and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as founders of the 'Peace Committee' for Gaza, AFP reported. Trump also appointed

Trump has already declared himself chairman of this body, promoting a controversial vision of economic development in the Palestinian territory, which lies in ruins after more than two years of relentless Israeli bombardment.

These moves followed the first meeting of a Palestinian technocratic committee for Gaza's governance in Cairo, attended by Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who has been working on the issue with Witkoff for months.

In Canada, the Prime Minister's office said Mark Carney intends to accept Trump's invitation, while in Turkey, a spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was asked to become a "founder" of the committee.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is "studying" the request for President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to join.

Sharing a picture of the invitation letter, Argentine President Javier Milei wrote on X that it would be an "honor" to participate in the initiative.

"I thank President Trump for his leadership in establishing the 'Peace Committee' and I am honored to be appointed to its Executive Board," Tony Blair said in a statement sent to AFP.

Blair is a controversial figure in the Middle East due to his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Trump himself said last year that he wanted to ensure Blair was an "acceptable choice for everyone".

For years, Blair has focused on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as the representative of the "Middle East Quartet" – the United Nations, the EU, the US, and Russia – after leaving Downing Street in 2007.

The White House said the "Peace Committee" will address issues such as "governance capacity building, regional relations, reconstruction, attracting investment, large-scale financing, and capital mobilization".

Other members of the "Committee" so far include World Bank President Ajay Banga, an Indian-born American businessman; American billionaire and financier Marc Rowan; and Robert Gabriel, a loyal Trump aide serving on the US National Security Council.

Trump has created a second "Gaza Executive Committee" that appears to be designed with a more advisory role. It was not immediately clear which world leaders were asked to be on each committee.

The White House, which stated on Friday that additional members would be appointed to both bodies, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington announced that the plan for Gaza has entered its second phase – from implementing a ceasefire to disarming Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered a massive Israeli offensive.