Former UK PM Blair could lead transitional authority in Gaza: reports

LONDON(National times)- Former UK prime minister Tony Blair could take a leading role in a transitional authority for Gaza under US-led peace plans, various British media reported on Friday. It follows Blair’s involvement in discussions with the administration of US President Donald Trump and others over the post-war transitional body for the Palestinian territory. The plan could involve Blair leading the authority with the support of the UN and Gulf nations, according to the BBC and The Economist magazine. The Financial Times reported that the former UK leader, who worked as a Middle East peace mediator formally from 2007 to 2015, had asked to be on its supervisory board. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a non-profit organisation, declined to comment to AFP on the stories. Israeli media reports last week about his involvement in the US-led peace plan prompted sources close to Blair to confirm that he has been working on a scheme to halt the conflict alongside other parties. However, they noted he would not support any proposal to permanently displace Gazans, and that any transitional governing body for the territory would ultimately hand power back to the Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah in the West Bank. In its report, The Economist said that a body to be known as the “Gaza International Transitional Authority” would seek a UN mandate to be the “supreme political and legal authority” for five years, before handing control to Palestinians. The authority would have a secretariat of up to 25 people and a seven-person board, it added. It would initially be based in Egypt, near Gaza’s southern border, before transferring to Gaza once it is secure, the BBC said. Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen told BBC Radio on Friday that “I love” the idea, calling Blair a “wonderful person”. “If he is willing to take this responsibility, which is huge, I think… there is a hope” for Gaza, he added. “I think that he can bear that burden strongly.” Blair’s involvement would inevitably raise eyebrows given his involvement in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. An official UK inquiry into the conflict found he had acted on flawed intelligence when deciding to join the war. Blair reportedly joined a White House meeting with Trump in August to discuss plans for post-war Gaza. Trump has floated plans to make Gaza the “Riviera of the Middle East”, involving the forced displacement of Palestinians in the territory.



Latest News
PM takes president into confidence on US-Iran talks, briefs him on upcoming visits to Saudi Arabia, Turkiye
Govt announces more than 2 hours of daily loadshedding amid fuel constraints
Naqvi calls on businessmen to bring back ‘20-30pc’ of wealth to Pakistan
US, Iranian teams could return to Islamabad for 2nd round of peace talks this week: sources
2 policemen injured as residents protest against anti-encroachment drive in Islamabad
Aurangzeb says ‘all options on table’ to replace UAE’s $3.5bn loan, weighs strategic fuel reserve
Efforts afoot for second round of US-Iran talks
PSX recovers over 4,000 points during intraday trade




Multi Media   
2025 in Review: A Year of Impact and Progress in Brussels
 Multi Media
DPM-FM Senator Ishaq Dar’s High-Level Brussels Visit: Key Highlights
 Multi Media
Embassy of Pakistan 🇵🇰 in Brussels || Quarterly Recap of Activities, Engagements & Outreach
 Multi Media
DPM Dar sends Trump peace prize nomination to Nobel Committee
 Multi Media
Pak Navy Chief Visits Foreign Ships Participating in Ninth Multinational Naval Exercise Aman | ISPR