Sir Tony Blair is positioning himself to take charge of Gaza once the war between Israel and Hamas ends.
The former UK Prime Minister has developed a plan through his think tank, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), aimed at ending the conflict.
According to The Telegraph, Sir Tony, 72, has offered to lead an interim government in Gaza on the condition that authority would eventually be transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which controlled Gaza until 2006.
He has the backing of several influential figures, including Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East advisor, and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy.
In a White House meeting with the U.S. president on August 27, Kushner and Witkoff argued that the former Labour Party leader could head a transitional administration in Gaza. Sources told The Economist that Sir Tony was “willing to sacrifice his time” to end the war and help govern Gaza.
Trump reportedly endorsed the plan before presenting it to leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and five Arab states at the UN General Assembly in New York this week. “Maybe we can end [the war] now,” he was quoted as saying.
Sources confirmed to The Telegraph that Blair has been working on the so-called “day after” plan since the outbreak of the conflict in October 2023.
Blair’s plan — continuously updated and revised — does not envision the displacement of Gaza’s residents. Instead, it proposes the creation of a temporary body called the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA).
According to The Economist, GITA would be modeled after international administrations established during the transitions of East Timor and Kosovo to full statehood. Its headquarters could be in El-Arish, an Egyptian provincial capital near southern Gaza.
From leaving office until 2015, Blair served as the Quartet’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, representing the UN, U.S., EU, and Russia in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
A spokesperson for Sir Tony declined to comment on the reports.
On Thursday, during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump suggested that a peace deal may be within reach. “I need to meet with Israel,” he said in the Oval Office. “I think we can achieve this. I hope we can achieve this. Many people are dying, but we want the hostages returned.”
A draft proposal, cited by The Times of Israel, describes GITA as the “supreme political and legal authority for Gaza during the transitional period.”
It would include at least one Palestinian representative, alongside senior UN officials, leading international figures with business experience, and “strong representation from Muslim members.”
Trump reportedly gave Blair two weeks to secure regional backing for his plan following their August White House meeting. He was particularly keen for Blair to obtain support from Saudi Arabia, which he views as decisive for any post-war settlement.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia insists that any post-war plan must lead to the creation of a Palestinian state — a demand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has categorically rejected.
Under Blair’s “GITA” plan, Gaza and the West Bank would be reunited before the territories are ultimately handed over to the Palestinian Authority. However, the PA has not agreed to the plan. Advisors to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have warned that Blair’s initiative could amount to an occupation.
Israel has publicly rejected any PA role in governing Gaza but is said to be engaging “constructively” with Blair’s plan.
