Trump names Blair and Rubio to Gaza 'board of peace'

US President Donald Trump has tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Tony Blair as founding members of the Gaza "board of peace".

Mr Trump also named his special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and World Bank President Ajay Banga among those on the seven-member "founding executive board," the White House said in a statement.

Mr Trump himself will chair the board, it said, adding that further members would be announced in coming weeks.

Mr Blair is a controversial choice in the Middle East because of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and Mr Trump said last year that he wanted to make sure he was an "acceptable choice to everybody".

Mr Trump had announced the formation of the "board of peace" yesterday, a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza.

The US president said it was the "greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled at any time, any place".

The announcements come as the Israeli military said it had struck Gaza the previous day in response to a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire there.

The announcement of yesterday's attacks came after exchanges of fire in the south of the Palestinian territory.

As the second phase of the fragile US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas began, each side accused the other of failing to abide by the agreement that took effect on 10 October.

Both the Gaza civil defence agency and Hamas reported yesterday that strikes on the territory killed at least seven people.

The family of a Hamas armed wing commander announced his death in a strike on a house in Deir al-Balah in the centre of the territory.

The Israeli military, in a statement, said it had hit "several terrorists, including commanders from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organisations across the Gaza Strip" yesterday.

The statement said Israel had acted in response to "the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement earlier this week in western Rafah, in which armed terrorists fired at IDF troops" yesterday.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army said it had identified "six armed terrorists" in western Rafah near its soldiers, and said tanks opened fire and air strikes were launched.

It later announced it had killed six fighters.

Today, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the group believed Israel had committed a "new violation" of the ceasefire by carrying out strikes in Gaza.

The US-backed Gaza peace plan facilitated the return of all the hostages held by Hamas and an end to the fighting between the Palestinian militant group and Israel in the besieged territory.

The plan's second phase is now under way, though clouded by ongoing allegations of aid shortages and violence.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has said Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire ostensibly took effect.

For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel's full military withdrawal from Gaza - a step included in the plan's framework but for which no detailed timetable has been announced.

Hamas, meanwhile, has refused to publicly commit to a full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel.

In a Truth Social post, Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said the US expects Hamas to "comply fully with its obligations".

Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to rebuild its leadership, which has been decimated by Israeli killings during the war in Gaza.

That vote is expected "in the first months of 2026," a Hamas leader said.

Mr Trump shared Mr Witkoff's post yesterday, adding: "These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a PEACEFUL future!" in reference to the transitional government he selects.

"With the support of Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, we will secure a COMPREHENSIVE Demilitarisation Agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of ALL weapons, and the dismantling of EVERY tunnel," Mr Trump said.