Trump backs Tony Blair as interim Gaza administrator under UN-backed plan

President Donald Trump is backing a White House plan to appoint former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to run Gaza under a United Nations-backed transitional authority once the war ends, according to Arab and U.S. officials familiar with the proposal. The draft envisions Blair, 72, serving as interim administrator of a Gaza International Transition Authority (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 is circulating to Arab and Israeli counterparts and remains one of several options under consideration, White House officials cautioned to the Wall Street Journal. A White House official said in a statement: “A variety of proposals are being considered – but this will not be relevant unless Hamas releases every single hostage, living and deceased, and surrenders.” Blair’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Blair has been pushing a postwar framework for months, meeting regional Arab leaders and White House aides, according to Arab and U.S. officials. In late August, he met with Trump, senior administration officials and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East envoy, to discuss what a post-war Gaza would look like, the officials told the Journal.

Under the draft, Blair would be interim administrator of a Gaza International Transition Authority (GITA) that would govern the enclave for several years. The plan emphasizes a governance structure that would include Palestinian technocrats and an Arab-led peacekeeping force on the ground before a handover to Palestinian leaders. Whether Blair would wield day-to-day authority or chair a supervisory board with limited executive powers remains unclear. Blair’s institute says it helps governments “turn bold ideas into reality,” and has advised leaders worldwide on policy execution, though the association with the proposal is controversial in the region.

Supporters say that someone with Blair’s governance and diplomacy experience could help rebuild Gaza’s shattered infrastructure and public services under an international mandate, with reconstruction funded by Gulf states and international donors. The plan is viewed by some Arab governments and Palestinian figures as offering a credible path forward, and Trump’s backing gives it stronger traction than other postwar concepts floated so far.

The plan faces steep obstacles. Hamas would have to accept disarmament and the release of hostages to enable any transition — something the Islamist group has resisted. Israel would need to endorse a UN-backed authority with Arab troops on the ground, and Palestinian technocrats would have to operate independently of rival factions while preparing for a handover. Blair’s association with the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has fueled criticism in some quarters, where the memory of intelligence failures linked to weapons of mass destruction remains a point of contention. Israel had previously floated Blair’s name as a possible coordinator of international aid to Gaza after the war, but that role did not materialize.

Blair has continued to engage on regional diplomacy through his institute, meeting with leaders across the Arab world over the past year. His supporters note that Blair’s management experience could translate to large-scale reconstruction and governance reform, while critics warn that Blair’s legacy on Iraq complicates any push for a multilateral, UN-backed framework.

Context about Gaza’s longer arc helps frame the debate. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied Gaza and exercised direct military rule for decades. The Oslo Accords in the 1990s granted limited Palestinian self-rule, but Israel maintained control of borders and security. In 2005, Israel withdrew unilaterally, leaving the Palestinian Authority in charge, until Hamas seized control in 2007. Since then, Gaza has been governed by Hamas amid continuing intra-Palestinian divisions. The crisis since Oct. 7, 2023, has intensified international calls for Hamas disarmament, the withdrawal of armed groups from Gaza’s institutions, and a pathway to humanitarian relief and reconstruction through a UN-backed arrangement.

The proposal remains one model among several under review, with the aim of delivering credible governance and security guarantees that could prevent Hamas’s return to power while enabling large-scale reconstruction. While some Arab governments and Palestinian figures have signaled cautious support, key questions about sovereignty, security, and the role of external forces remain unresolved. The plan’s fate will hinge on the evolving political and security dynamics on the ground, including whether Hamas agrees to disarm and release hostages and whether Israel accepts a UN-backed authority with international oversight.

As the discussion continues, regional actors are watching closely to see whether a credible, internationally backed governance framework can stabilize Gaza, restore public services, and set the stage for a sustainable settlement. The plan’s ultimate adoption would require broad, coordinated diplomacy and a willingness from all sides to operate within an international mandate that can enforce disarmament, humanitarian access, and a staged handover to Palestinian leadership. In the meantime, the world watches how the contours of a postwar Gaza governance model could unfold under Blair’s proposed leadership and amid competing strategic interests in the region.