Netanyahu reserves the right to include Qatar and Turkey in the Gaza Executive Council

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which he expressed his reservation about including Qatar and Turkey in the advisory council that will oversee the interim administration of the Gaza Strip, according to Israel's Channel 12, citing informed sources. The channel quoted its sources as saying that Rubio informed Netanyahu - who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes in Gaza - during the call that there was no turning back from involving Qatar and Turkey in the advisory council and that the decision had been made. The channel explained that Netanyahu expressed his reservation that the decision to announce the formation of the council was a surprise to Israel and without prior notification, adding that he made the call directly with Rubio despite having previously announced that he had tasked his foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, with following up on this matter.

In this context, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that the inclusion of representatives from Qatar and Turkey in the executive committee overseeing Gaza was not part of the original understandings with Washington, noting that the powers of this committee are unclear. The official added, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, that "the involvement of Qatar and Turkey was against Netanyahu's will and constitutes revenge from (Jared) Kushner and (Steve) Witkoff due to the insistence on not opening the Rafah crossing before the return of the last prisoner's body in Gaza."

Netanyahu said on Monday that he was at odds with Washington over the Gaza Executive Council, which the White House announced last Friday evening, but he clarified that he was about to begin the second phase of the US President's plan for Gaza. Netanyahu did not specify, in a speech he delivered during a session of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) General Assembly, the nature of the dispute between him and US President Donald Trump's administration regarding the Gaza Executive Council, which will accompany operations in Gaza.

Sources in Palestine said that Netanyahu spoke about a discussion between him and the Trump administration regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Council, and added that he was not afraid of this discussion. Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that there was no coordination between America and Israel regarding the announcement of the Gaza Executive Council, and that Tel Aviv would discuss the matter with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

International Force in Gaza

Sources in Palestine added that Netanyahu stressed, during his speech in the Knesset, that there would be no Turkish or Qatari soldiers in the Gaza Strip, according to him, but he did not confirm that there would be no Turkish and Qatari role in the reconstruction of Gaza and other aspects related to the future of the Strip. Washington had said that an international stabilization force would be deployed in the Gaza Strip soon, and this force is one of the provisions in Trump's plan that formed the framework for the ceasefire in Gaza since October 10th after two years of Israeli extermination.

The UN Security Council issued its resolution on November 17th last year, which stipulated the formation of an international stabilization force in Gaza. Regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Israeli Prime Minister stated that "Hamas will be disarmed, and Gaza will be handed over either the easy way or the hard way."

Welcome in Gaza

In contrast, the government media office in Gaza welcomed, in a statement, the Palestinian National Committee for the administration of the Gaza Strip. The office considered that the step comes in the context of addressing the administrative and service reality in the Strip, and in line with the priority of a complete cessation of the ongoing aggression, ensuring the protection of civilians, and alleviating humanitarian suffering. The statement affirmed full readiness to transfer relevant powers, and complete preparedness for handover and takeover procedures, ensuring a smooth and organized transition in institutional work, preserving the rights of citizens and employees in the public sector, and guaranteeing the continuity of services.

According to the White House statement regarding the Gaza Executive Council, the latter's role is to support the office of the High Representative and the National Committee for the administration of Gaza; with the aim of promoting effective governance, accelerating the provision of quality services, and supporting stability and prosperity for the residents of the Strip. The Gaza Executive Council includes members of the "Founding Council" who are: Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Tony Blair, and Mark Rowan, in addition to prominent regional and international figures, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, advisor to the Prime Minister for Strategic Affairs, and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad.

The White House said that the Gaza Executive Council will operate under the broader umbrella of the "Peace Council" chaired by President Trump, as part of his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.

In a related context, Bloomberg quoted an informed source as saying that the European-American talks regarding the Peace Council are very difficult. According to the sources, Washington's European allies are working to amend the provisions of the Peace Council and are seeking to persuade Arab countries to pressure Trump to make changes to the Council. The sources revealed that Trump wants to sign the charter and powers of the Peace Council next Thursday during the Davos conference.

In the same context, Axios quoted a French official as saying that Paris does not intend to respond positively to the invitation to participate in the Peace Council on Gaza. The French official added to the website that the Peace Council raises fundamental questions regarding respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations.