Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached an agreement with the US-backed Board of Peace to establish two distinct working groups aimed at addressing the situation in Gaza. The decision was formalized during a meeting in Israel attended by Netanyahu, the Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov, and an envoy representing US President Donald Trump, who is also his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Former British prime minister Tony Blair was also reported to be in attendance.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s office on X, the discussions were described as "deep and constructive." The first working group is tasked with overseeing the disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza. Both Israel and the Board of Peace have emphasized that this process must be completed promptly before any reconstruction efforts can commence within the enclave.
The second working group will prioritize public health concerns, specifically focusing on sanitation and the availability of clean water. The statement noted that these issues are critical as they impact the populations in both Gaza and Israel. The development follows a series of meetings involving Kushner, Mladenov, and Blair, who traveled to Cairo on Sunday to consult with Hamas officials on similar topics.
The current situation in Gaza remains dire following the launch of an Israeli military campaign in October 2023, which has resulted in over 73,000 Palestinian deaths and more than 174,000 injuries. While a ceasefire has been in effect since October 2025 as part of the first phase of President Trump's peace plan, ongoing Israeli military operations have led to at least 1,260 additional deaths and over 4,100 injuries, based on data from Gaza’s health ministry.
Looking ahead, the second phase of the Trump peace plan proposes transferring governance of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, the deployment of an international stabilization force, and placing weapons systems under international oversight. As part of this framework, Israel is expected to implement a phased withdrawal from the territory to facilitate reconstruction.
