Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair has offered to help govern Gaza under a proposed UN-backed transitional authority, should a ceasefire be agreed in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
According to diplomatic sources, Blair has been engaged in high-level talks with regional leaders, the United States, and the United Nations on plans for Gaza’s post-conflict future. Central to the proposal is the creation of a temporary body, the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA), which would administer the territory with UN and Gulf support before eventually handing control to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Blair, who served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet (the UN, US, EU, and Russia) from 2007 to 2015, is understood to have expressed willingness to head such an authority, although his office has stressed he would not back any plan that involved displacing the people of Gaza.
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US President Donald Trump, who met Blair at the White House in August alongside Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, reportedly discussed the plan with leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and five Arab nations during the UN General Assembly this week. Trump has publicly signalled support for a transitional arrangement in Gaza, telling Arab leaders: “Maybe we can end the war right now.”
The proposed authority would include at least one Palestinian representative, UN officials, and international figures, with “strong Muslim representation,” according to draft documents cited by the Times of Israel. Modeled on previous international administrations in East Timor and Kosovo, GITA would oversee Gaza for several years before the PA resumes control, pending significant reforms.
The initiative comes as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his readiness for the PA to assume governance and security responsibilities in Gaza, while ruling out any role for Hamas. Israel, meanwhile, has rejected PA involvement but has engaged “constructively” with aspects of the plan.
Surveys conducted by the Tony Blair Institute suggest that over a quarter of Gazans support international involvement in a transitional government, while about a third favour PA administration.
Blair’s potential role remains controversial given his legacy as the UK leader who took Britain into the Iraq War in 2003, a decision heavily criticised by the Chilcot Inquiry for relying on flawed intelligence. Nonetheless, his supporters argue his past experience and contacts in the region could help build consensus around a post-war settlement.
The future of the proposal will hinge on securing regional support, particularly from Saudi Arabia, which has insisted that any post-war plan must pave the way for an independent Palestinian state — a position strongly opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
