Without questioning the overall architecture of the Peace Council, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioned the selection of members for one of its subdivisions: the Gaza Executive Committee, without specifying the appointments in question. According to the White House, this body will advise the 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that will be in charge of the provisional administration of the territory and which began its work on Thursday in Cairo. “The announcement of the composition of the Gaza Steering Committee, which reports to the Peace Council [established by Trump], was not coordinated with Israel and goes against its policy,” stated a press release from Netanyahu’s office. The Committee includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is also a senior Qatari official. Relations between Israel and Turkey, once allies, deteriorated with the war that began on October 7, 2013, with the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and several other countries, against Israel.

Turkey openly supports Hamas and is among the countries denouncing a “genocide” in Gaza.

Regarding Qatar, the Gulf emirate that was the target of direct Israeli bombings against Hamas's exiled leadership in September, it is also linked in Israel to a corruption scandal affecting Netanyahu's inner circle.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad stated this Saturday that the members of the Peace Council were chosen to serve Israel's interests.

“We were surprised by the composition of the so-called 'Peace Council' and the names announced, chosen according to Israeli criteria and serving the interests of the [Israeli] occupation,” the movement stated in a press release.

The “Peace Council” Takes Shape

Israel’s open criticism of its closest ally, the United States, comes as the Peace Council announced by Trump began to take shape on Saturday, with the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Canada, and Paraguay invited to join.

The announcements inviting these leaders came after the US president nominated his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for this body.

Trump had already declared himself chairman of the body he himself created.

The announcements came after a Palestinian committee of technocrats intended to govern Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo, which was attended by Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who has been working with Witkoff for months.

In Canada, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Mark Carney said he intended to accept Trump's invitation, while in Turkey, a spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been asked to become a "founding member".

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was "considering" a request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join.

Sharing an image of the invitation letter, Argentine President Javier Milei wrote in X that it will be “an honor” to participate in the initiative.

Paraguayan President Santiago Pena was also invited and said he accepts “the responsibility with honor.”

For his part, in a statement sent to AFP, Blair said: “I thank President Trump for his leadership in establishing the Peace Council and I am honored to have been appointed to its Executive Board.”

Blair is a controversial figure in the Middle East for his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Trump himself said last year that he wanted to make sure Blair was an “acceptable choice for all.”

The White House said the Peace Council will address issues such as “strengthening governance capacity, regional relations, reconstruction, attracting investment, large-scale financing, and capital mobilization.”

The other members of the council so far are World Bank President Ajay Banga, an Indian-born American businessman; The billionaire financier Marc Rowan, and Robert Gabriel, a loyal Trump associate who sits on the US National Security Council.

The United States has said that the plan for Gaza has moved into a second phase, from implementing the ceasefire to disarming Hamas.

Trump, a real estate developer,He has fantasized about turning the devastated Gaza into a Riviera-style resort area, although he has distanced himself from calls to forcibly displace the Palestinian population from the area.