President Trump backs former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s proposal for Gaza transitional authority

US President Donald Trump has endorsed former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s (pictured) proposal for a postwar plan in Gaza, giving him two weeks to rally international support for the initiative. (AFP/File Photo)
Short Url
Updated 18 September 2025
Follow

President Trump backs former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s proposal for Gaza transitional authority

  • Body would administer territory for several years

LONDON: US President Donald Trump has endorsed former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s proposal for a postwar plan in Gaza, giving him two weeks to rally international support for the initiative, The Telegraph reported on Thursday.

The plan, drafted by the Tony Blair Institute, calls for the creation of a temporary governing body known as the Gaza International Transitional Authority.

The body, to be established under the auspices of the UN, would administer the territory for several years before transferring authority to a reformed Palestinian Authority.

According to The Times of Israel, the draft proposal describes the GITA as the “supreme political and legal authority for Gaza during the transitional period.” It would include at least one Palestinian representative, senior UN officials, prominent international business figures, and “strong representation of Muslim members.”

The blueprint rules out the forced displacement of Palestinians, instead proposing a Property Rights Preservation Unit to guarantee the rights of Palestinians in Gaza who voluntarily leave the territory, including a right of return.

It also calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the formation of an international force to assist Gaza’s civil police in preventing the group’s resurgence.

Blair has been working on what he terms the “day after” plan since the outbreak of the conflict in October 2023, meeting senior Trump officials and regional leaders to build support.

Trump formally endorsed the proposal during an Aug. 27 meeting at the White House, where his son-in-law Jared Kushner has played a leading role in shaping postwar options.

While Israel has rejected the Palestinian Authority taking on a direct role in Gaza, reports suggest it has engaged “constructively” with Blair’s proposal. However, renewed Israeli military operations in Gaza City and recent strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar have raised questions over the viability of the plan.

Blair’s institute has declined to comment publicly on the proposal.


Afghanistan says it has released 3 Pakistani soldiers captured during October cross-border fighting

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Afghanistan says it has released 3 Pakistani soldiers captured during October cross-border fighting

  • Tension between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan has been high since deadly border clashes in October killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants, and wounded hundreds more on both sides

KABUL, Afghanistan: Afghanistan has released three Pakistani soldiers who it had captured during cross-border fighting last October, its government spokesman said Tuesday.
Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement the three, who had been captured during fighting on Oct. 12, were turned over to a Saudi delegation that mediated between the two sides and had traveled to Kabul on Monday. He said the release was decided upon in light of the start of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and reflection.
Tension between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan has been high since deadly border clashes in October killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants, and wounded hundreds more on both sides. The violence erupted after explosions in Kabul, the Afghan capital, on Oct. 9 that the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan and vowed to avenge.
The fighting was the worst between the neighbors in recent years. A ceasefire mediated by Qatar has since eased tension, although subsequent peace talks in Istanbul failed to produce a definitive agreement and relations remain strained.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on the release of the three soldiers.