Trump backs plan to appoint Tony Blair as interim Gaza administrator

President Donald Trump is backing a White House plan to install former British prime minister Tony Blair as the interim administrator of Gaza under a United Nations-backed transitional authority once the war ends. The draft outlines a Gaza International Transition Authority, or GITA, that would govern the enclave for several years with Palestinian technocrats and an Arab-led peacekeeping force before handing control to Palestinian leaders. The blueprint, circulating among Arab and Israeli counterparts, remains one of several models under consideration, according to White House officials.

A White House official told reporters that a range of proposals are being weighed, but stressed that any path forward would be anchored to Hamas meeting key conditions. “A variety of proposals are being considered – but this will not be relevant unless Hamas releases every single hostage, living and deceased, and surrenders,” the official said. The plan would determine Blair’s role, potentially as day-to-day administrator or as chair of a supervisory board with limited executive powers, according to the outline and officials briefed on the discussions. Blair’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Under the draft, Blair, 72, would shepherd a transitional period intended to stabilize Gaza’s institutions and public services while international donors and Gulf states fund reconstruction. The plan envisions Blair as interim administrator of a Gaza International Transition Authority (GITA) that would govern the enclave for several years, working alongside Palestinian technocrats and an Arab-led peacekeeping force before a handover to Palestinian leadership. Some officials have cautioned that Blair’s precise authority remains to be decided and could range from day-to-day control to a supervisory role with limited executive powers.

Blair has been advocating a postwar framework for months, meeting with regional Arab leaders and White House aides to discuss Gaza’s future. In late August he met with Trump, senior administration officials and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East envoy, to exchange views on what a postwar Gaza might look like, according to Arab and U.S. officials familiar with the talks. Supporters of Blair’s leadership argue that his management experience could help stabilize Gaza’s shattered infrastructure, public services and governance under an international mandate, while critics caution about potential political sensitivities tied to Blair’s past.

Blair’s suspension from active political life since leaving office in 2007 has not paused his global diplomacy work. Through the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, he has continued to meet with leaders across the region and the world, advising on policy execution and development programs. The institute has said its work focuses on turning bold ideas into practical policy outcomes, and its backers include governments and private entities seeking governance expertise.

The plan faces steep hurdles beyond the political optics. Hamas would have to disarm and release captives to enable a transition, a condition the Islamist group has repeatedly refused, arguing that it would surrender its weapons only as part of broader regional arrangements. Israel would need to endorse a UN-backed authority with Arab troops on the ground, while Palestinian technocrats tapped to staff GITA would have to operate independently of rival factions as the territory prepares for a broader handover of authority. Even with some Arab governments receptive, the path remains uncertain, and the White House emphasized that the Blair option is only one of several toward a credible governance and security framework that could support large-scale reconstruction funded by Gulf states and international donors.

The Gaza governance challenge has long strained regional and international diplomacy. Since the 2007 Hamas takeover, Gaza has been effectively governed by the Islamist movement amid ongoing internal Palestinian divisions. The current crisis has forced a reexamination of postwar arrangements, with the international community pressing for disarmament, humanitarian access, and a pathway to reconstruction. Israel’s occupation history, the Oslo Accords framework, and the 2005 withdrawal set a complex backdrop for any transitional authority. Analysts note that the postwar framework would need buy-in from multiple parties, including Arab governments, Palestinian factions, and the international community, to endure beyond the immediate reconstruction period.

Hamas has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm and has conditioned its acceptance of any transition on broader regional security arrangements and guarantees for Palestinian political sovereignty. The plan’s proponents argue that a credible international mandate, supported by a robust Arab troop presence and a transitional government insulated from factional influence, could deter a return of Hamas’s military capabilities and create space for reconstruction and institution-building. Critics caution that introducing a high-profile international administrator could complicate intra-Palestinian dynamics and provoke domestic resistance among factions wary of external authority.

In parallel, some Arab governments and several Palestinian figures have responded positively to the outline, according to officials familiar with the discussions. Trump’s senior aides have argued that the initiative could offer a credible path to governance and security guarantees, potentially unlocking large-scale funding for reconstruction. However, the plan’s ultimate viability will depend on progress on hostage releases, disarmament, and the political consensus necessary to sustain a UN-backed transitional framework.

The broader historical arc remains instructive. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied Gaza and maintained direct rule for decades before withdrawing unilaterally in 2005, leaving the Palestinian Authority in charge temporarily. Two years later, Hamas seized control, complicating efforts to achieve a unified, Palestinian-led government. Since Oct. 7, 2023, international actors have tied humanitarian relief and reconstruction to conditions on disarmament and political concessions, producing a tense environment in which any postwar governance plan must navigate competing legitimacy claims and security concerns.

As discussions continue, officials stressed that Blair’s potential appointment would be one element among several models under consideration, all seeking to establish credible governance and security guarantees that could prevent Hamas’s return to power and enable reconstruction funded by Gulf states and international donors. Whether such a framework gains broad regional and Palestinian support remains uncertain, and the plan’s proponents acknowledge that any transition would require significant concessions and tangible steps from Hamas, Israel, and Palestinian factions alike before it could begin to take shape on the ground.