On January 16, the White House announced the establishment of the National Committee for Gaza Management (NCAG) and presented the composition of the international Council for Peace, which will work on implementing the U.S. peace initiative for the Gaza Strip. This information was posted in an official statement.
Ali Shaas, who previously held high positions in the Palestinian National Authority, will head the new NCAG. His tasks will include restoring key public services, supporting civil institutions, and improving living conditions in Gaza.
According to the statement, an executive body was formed to implement the concept of the Council for Peace, initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, which includes experienced leaders in the fields of diplomacy, infrastructure, development, and economic strategy.
The composition of the Executive Council of the Council for Peace includes:
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio;
- U.S. President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff;
- Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner;
- Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair;
- American billionaire Mark Rowan;
- President of the World Bank Ajay Banga;
- Deputy National Security Advisor of the U.S. Robert Gabriel.
Each member of the Executive Council will oversee a specific area related to the stabilization and long-term development of Gaza. Key tasks include strengthening governance structures, developing regional relations, restoring infrastructure, attracting investments, and seeking large-scale funding.
Senior advisors to the Council for Peace have been appointed as Josh Grünbaum, Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Procurement Service, and Arye Lightstone, who served as a senior advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman from 2017 to 2021. They will be responsible for strategic leadership and operational activities, as well as for implementing the diplomatic priorities of the Council.
The link between the Council for Peace and the NCAG has been appointed to Bulgarian diplomat Nikolai Mladenov, who will ensure coordination of governance, reconstruction, and development in the Gaza Strip, as well as interaction between civil and security structures.
Additionally, a separate Executive Council for Gaza has been created to support the Office of the High Representative and the NCAG. Its composition includes:
- Steve Witkoff;
- Jared Kushner;
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan;
- Senior Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thafer;
- Tony Blair;
- Mark Rowan;
- UAE Minister of International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimi;
- Nikolai Mladenov;
- Businessman Yakir Gabay;
- Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Sigrid Kaag.
It is also reported that Donald Trump recently announced the establishment of the Council for Peace in the Gaza Strip, which is part of his peace plan, including the deployment of international forces.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff previously reported the start of the second phase of Trump's peace plan, which includes the creation of a transitional administration and NCAG, as well as the disarmament of illegal formations. He noted that as part of the first phase, Israel returned all living hostages and 27 out of 28 bodies of the deceased.
