Tony Blair has been excluded from a proposed “Board of Peace” chaired by US President Donald Trump, after some Arab and Muslim expressed concern, according to unnamed sources cited by the Financial Times.
Blair—the former UK prime minister and a central figure in the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq—was initially the only confirmed name when Trump announced his 20-point proposal to end the war between Israel and Hamas in late September.
At the time, Trump described Blair as a “very good man,” and Blair praised the plan as “bold and intelligent,” signalling his readiness to participate.
Some Arab and Muslim states pushed back, citing Blair’s destructive legacy in the region and his role in enabling catastrophic Western military interventions. Many also expressed concern over the complete sidelining of Palestinian leadership in shaping Gaza’s postwar governance, according to the Financial Times.
Blair’s office refused to provide FT with comment. However, an unnamed source allied with Blair claimed the former prime minister had never been eligible for the council, which would consist only of current world leaders.
Blair, they suggested, might instead join a smaller executive body beneath the council, alongside Trump advisor, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, US envoy to the Middle East, and key Gaza ceasefire negotiator Steve Witkoff. This body will also include senior officials from Arab and Western governments.
Trump acknowledged in October that Blair’s appointment might prove divisive. “I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” he said.
Since leaving Downing Street in 2007, Blair has embedded himself in regional diplomacy. Through the Tony Blair Institute, he has been developing policy ideas on Gaza for over a year, reportedly in close coordination with Kushner and Witkoff.
Blair may still be tapped for a future role in Gaza's postwar architecture, another anonymous source told FT. “He could still play a different role. That’s likely. The Americans love him. The Israelis love him.”
Trump’s plan—marketed as a pathway to peace—has made little progress since its announcement, stalled by a fragile ceasefire and the ongoing division of Gaza between areas under Hamas control and those under brutal Israeli occupation.
When first unveiling the proposal, Trump said the council would include sitting heads of state and that appointments would be announced within days. Yet over two months later, no additional names have emerged.
Still, Trump insisted implementation was moving forward and claimed that phase two of the plan would begin “very soon,” suggesting the council’s formal launch was imminent.
As part of the envisioned governance structure, a separate executive committee—not mentioned in the original proposal—is now expected to be established, led by Nikolay Mladenov, the former UN envoy to the Middle East and ex-Bulgarian defense minister, according to FT sources.
This body would serve as an intermediary between the US-led council and a yet-to-be-defined Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with managing Gaza’s daily administration.
Mladenov, currently heading the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, was UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process between 2015 and 2020. He has often acted as a go-between in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. He was also a key player in the normalization deal struck between the UAE and Israel.
But large portions of the so-called postwar roadmap remain opaque. There is still no clarity about the composition or mandate of the Palestinian committee, nor on the makeup or deployment of an international force to oversee Gaza’s security.
The US plan envisions total disarmament of Gaza, offers safe passage for Hamas leaders willing to go into exile, and promises legal immunity to those who agree to so-called “peaceful coexistence.”
It also includes emergency humanitarian aid under UN oversight, followed by sweeping reconstruction coordinated by an international economic body and a cadre of “miracle city” consultants.
Israel, meanwhile, continues to obstruct phase two negotiations, demanding the return of the last remaining prisoner of war held by Hamas before committing to further steps.
Phase two is supposed to involve additional Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the deployment of foreign peacekeeping forces, and the rollout of a new governance framework dominated by the US-backed council.
