Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the US decision to form a Gaza executive committee without coordination, as Palestinian factions warned the move reflects negative intentions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s decision to form a Gaza “executive committee,” saying the move was made without coordination with Israel and contradicts Israeli policy.
In a statement released by Netanyahu’s office on Saturday, the Israeli leader said the announcement regarding the Gaza executive committee—linked to the US-led peace framework—was taken unilaterally by Washington. He instructed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to urgently contact US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the matter.
Israeli media described Netanyahu’s reaction as unprecedented, pointing to signs of tension between Washington and Tel Aviv over the future governance of the Gaza Strip and the management of the next phase following the ceasefire.
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Israeli Media: Fears Over Loss of Control
Political sources cited by Yedioth Ahronoth said Netanyahu’s statement reflects Israeli concern over the inclusion of regional actors such as Türkiye and Qatar in the Gaza committee.
According to the report, Israeli officials fear that the US move could weaken Israel’s control over the Palestinian file and place Gaza’s future under direct American oversight, without Israeli consensus.
The US announcement said the committee would support administrative and economic measures in Gaza and link reconstruction to political and monitoring mechanisms overseen by Washington.
The move coincided with Trump’s unveiling of a broader “Board of Peace,” aimed at direct US supervision of peace and conflict-management efforts in Gaza and other regions.
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Palestinian Islamic Jihad Reacts
In a separate statement, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said it was “surprised” by the composition and announced members of the so-called Board of Peace, describing it as aligned with Israeli specifications and serving Israeli interests.
The movement said it had complied with the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and showed readiness to move to the second phase despite Israeli delays, daily violations, and failure to honor agreed-upon commitments.
Islamic Jihad added that it had responded positively to the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee and facilitated its announcement in an effort to support the agreed political track. However, it said the subsequent creation of the Board of Peace revealed, in its view, “pre-planned negative intentions” toward implementing the agreement.
Earlier, the White House announced that Trump would chair the Board of Peace, alongside senior US officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The developments highlight growing friction not only between Israel and the United States, but also between Washington’s proposed governance framework for Gaza and Palestinian factions, as Israel continues to violate the ceasefire and the future administration of the Strip remains deeply contested.
(PC, Al-Mayadeen)
