US invites Erdogan to join Gaza 'Board of Peace'
The US government has invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join the Board of Peace, a high-level body tasked with overseeing the administration and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.
The board, which has yet to be formally announced, will be chaired by US President Donald Trump, who brokered the Gaza ceasefire deal in September alongside mediator countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Qatar.
The sources said all of the negotiating parties will be represented on the Board of Peace, despite Israeli opposition to Erdogan's inclusion.
The Turkish president's director of communications, Burhanettin Duran, confirmed MEE's reporting in a post on X.
"US President Donald Trump, on January 16, 2026, in his capacity as the founding president of the Board of Peace, sent a letter inviting our President, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to participate as a founding member in the Board of Peace," Duran said.
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On Friday, the White House unveiled a new structure for Gaza's post-war governance, naming several committees and institutions that will share administrative responsibilities. The announcement caused confusion among observers, as a number of the appointed figures are widely viewed as holding strongly pro-Israel positions.
Middle East Eye examines the three bodies that make up the new governance framework for Gaza.
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza
The first body announced, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), will consist of 15 technocrats from Gaza led by Dr Ali Shaath.
Backed by Palestinian political factions and mediator countries, the committee will oversee day‑to‑day civil services, including education, sewage management and basic infrastructure.
However, the NCAG will hold no political authority and will report directly to the US-led Board of Peace, effectively placing decision-making power in the hands of Trump's team.
The Board of Peace Executive Board
The White House also introduced the Board of Peace Executive Board, which will be responsible for developing a long-term strategic vision for Gaza. Officials stressed that the Executive Board is distinct from the Board of Peace, which will comprise heads of state.
In the future, the Executive Board could be deployed in similar roles in other post-conflict regions.
Members of the Executive Board include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, American investor Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga and US deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel Jr.
The White House said in a statement that each member would oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza's stabilisation, including governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment and large-scale capital funding.
The administration also appointed Aryeh Lightstone, chief executive of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, and Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the US General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service, as senior advisers to the Board of Peace.
Lightstone was deeply involved in negotiating and implementing the Abraham Accords, which normalised Israel's relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, and has since played a prominent role in the creation of the now-suspended and controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. He is also a vocal critic of the United Nations.
Gruenbaum's appointment has raised questions, given his limited background in foreign policy or national security.
He gained prominence within the administration for leading financial crackdowns on US universities over pro-Palestine activism, personally authoring letters to Harvard and Columbia threatening to terminate federal contracts for allegedly failing to curb what officials described as "anti-Zionist" speech.
Former UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov has been named Gaza high representative and will serve as the principal intermediary between the NCAG and the Board of Peace, as well as a member of the Executive Board.
Major General Jasper Jeffers will command the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), tasked with maintaining security and monitoring ceasefire compliance inside Gaza.
Gaza Executive Board
The White House also announced the establishment of a Gaza Executive Board to support both the office of the High Representative and the NCAG.
Members of the board include US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari adviser Ali Al-Thawadi, Egyptian General Intelligence Director General Hassan Rashad, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, American financier Marc Rowan, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy, former UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov, Israeli-Cypriot businessman Yakir Gabay and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag.
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