Tony Blair proposed as chief of Gaza transitional authority, reports say

Tony Blair is in discussions to lead a transitional authority in the Gaza Strip as part of a US-backed plan for post-war governance, according to reports.

Israeli media and the BBC reported on Friday that the former UK prime minister is being considered for the role.

Blair, who took Britain to war in Iraq alongside the US in 2003, is said to have held talks about heading the proposed body.

The plan would establish a transitional authority in Gaza for up to five years, excluding both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

Under the reported proposal, the authority would hold “supreme political and legal authority” over Gaza during the interim period.

It would be based in al-Arish, an Egyptian city near Gaza’s southern border, and backed by the UN, supported by Arab states, and secured by a multinational force.

The White House-backed plan reportedly does not involve the relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza.

After the interim period, governing control would be handed over to Palestinians, according to the plan.

The BBC reported that Blair has been directly involved in discussions about leading the interim authority.

Blair has not publicly commented on the reports.

The proposal was presented during a recent meeting between President Donald Trump and several Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations Genteral Assembly.

According to a Financial Times report, the US presented a 21-point plan to end permanently end to Israel's genocide in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians so far.

The plan calls for the release of all Israeli captives in one go and builds on a previous ceasefire proposal put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The proposal would require Israeli forces to retreat to the same positions they held during the two-month ceasefire between January and March this year, followed by a full withdrawal once the "stabilisation force" is deployed.

The plan stipulates that Hamas will play no role in the governance of post-war Gaza. 

Neither Hamas nor Israel have commented on the proposal.