A British document reveals an Egyptian billionaire among the Gaza ruling body after the war.

A leaked draft published earlier this week revealed a proposed international plan for managing the Gaza Strip during a transitional phase, in an initiative expected to be led by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The plan, named the "International Transitional Authority for Gaza" (GITA), outlines a framework for managing the territory under the supervision of an international council composed of prominent figures in politics and finance, without direct Palestinian representation in the top leadership.

Proposed structure under international supervision

The draft clarifies that "GITA" will be responsible for managing Gaza's affairs during the transitional period, with the international council working in cooperation with the United States, Israel, and Egypt. According to leaks from the White House, this plan has the support of President Trump. The document mentions four names as potential candidates to lead the council: Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; American billionaire Mark Rowan; Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris; and American rabbi and businessman Aryeh Lightstone.

Controversial names

The four candidates do not belong to any Palestinian background, which has raised criticisms regarding the lack of local representation. Tony Blair is known for his long-standing relationships with several of these candidates, particularly Sawiris, with whom he has had a friendship for years, and the two have been seen together at social and private events, including Sawiris's son's wedding in Egypt.

Additionally, Tony Blair is a close figure to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and it is known that during his leadership of what was called the "Quartet" (June 2007 – May 2015), he consistently represented Israeli interests in the committee and obstructed any potential progress toward recognizing Palestinian rights. Blair also has a notorious reputation for fabricating accusations against Iraq to justify its invasion in 2003.

Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone

Lightstone previously served as a senior advisor to David Friedman, the far-right American ambassador to Israel during President Donald Trump's administration, and he is now the CEO of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute (normalization agreements). He also participated in founding the infamous "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - GHF" to distribute aid in Gaza with American and Israeli support, which has faced criticism from international organizations due to its operational methods and humanitarian consequences, as its four centers turned into death traps for Palestinians.

In a brief conversation with a reporter from Al-Quds newspaper last July, Lightstone echoed the Israeli narrative verbatim, showing no concern for the facts, such as claiming that Hamas violated the ceasefire (on March 18), or that there is no famine in Gaza, but rather a surplus of aid, and that no one was killed at the aid distribution centers of the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - GHF".

One expert working in one of the fronts of the Israeli lobby (in Washington) described Lightstone as parallel to Ben Gvir, Smotrich, and David Friedman in his Zionist extremism.

Complex political and economic background

The leaked documents indicate that Lightstone participated in discussions about the "next day" for Gaza, in collaboration with American officials, where he expressed rejection of the two-state solution at this stage, considering that "removing Hamas" should be the priority. However, he has a long record of rejecting the establishment of any Palestinian state anywhere, and he refers to the occupied West Bank as "Judea and Samaria," the name given to it by settlers, and supports its annexation by Israel.

As for Sawiris, his fame stems from his role in developing the telecommunications sector in Egypt, and he has extensive investments in mining, and it is believed he has potential business interests in the reconstruction phase of Gaza.

Mixed reactions

So far, there has been no official comment from the concerned parties regarding the plan or the names mentioned. It is also unclear whether there has been any official communication with the individuals listed in the document.

However, the plan, according to observers, raises questions about its true objectives and its acceptance by Palestinians, especially in light of the absence of any local representative in the proposed transitional council's leadership.