Sir Tony Blair 'honoured' to be part of Trump's efforts to rebuild Gaza

Sir Tony Blair has said he is "honoured" to be appointed as part of a team that will be key to Donald Trump's plan to rebuild Gaza.

The former Labour prime minister has been listed by the White House on a "founding executive board" to lead long-term Middle East peace efforts, along with high-profile Trump administration officials. This will be the operational arm of the Board of Peace, which will be chaired by President Trump who called it the "greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled" ahead of the announcement.

Under the US president's peace plan, the territory will be governed by an apolitical, transitional Palestinian government, monitored by a Board of Peace. Mr Trump said the US was launching "phase two" of its 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict, which his special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said would see the focus shift beyond a ceasefire and towards demilitarisation, technocratic governance and reconstruction.

Sir Tony called the 20-point plan "an extraordinary achievement" and "something many thought could not happen". "For Gaza and its people, we want a Gaza which does not reconstruct Gaza as it was but as it could and should be.

And for the Israelis we want to ensure that the horrific events of October 7 2023 are never repeated. "Both myself personally and my Institute will continue to work and commit for this outcome and again I thank President Trump for his leadership which made this possible." Among the other figures on the "founding executive board" will be Mr Witkoff, Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who both helped negotiate the peace plan, and US secretary of state Marco Rubio.

The other members named are billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga, and US deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel. In a statement, the White House said each would oversee a "defined portfolio critical to Gaza's stabilisation and long-term success".

Mr Trump was effusive about the membership of the Board of Peace in a post on Truth Social. He wrote: "I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place." Sir Tony, Mr Rubio, and Mr Kushner were also named among the 11 members of a "Gaza executive board.