Blair joins White House meeting on the future of Gaza
Former PM believed to have been working alongside Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner
Sir Tony Blair joined US President Donald Trump in a White House meeting to discuss plans for the future of Gaza, according to reports.
The former prime minister, who served as a Middle East envoy after leaving Number 10 in 2007, took part in Wednesday’s meeting about plans for the region when the war with Israel ends, the BBC reported.
According to The Daily Telegraph, a senior US official said Sir Tony had briefed Mr Trump on ideas to rebuild the territory.
He is believed to have been working alongside Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The meeting did not appear on the president’s public schedule, but US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News that Mr Trump would chair the meeting to discuss “a very comprehensive plan”.
Mr Witkoff did not provide any further details about the meeting, but told Fox he believed the conflict could be ended “certainly before the end of this year”.
The State Department said secretary of state Marco Rubio reaffirmed the US’s “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security” when he met with Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar in Washington on Wednesday.
A statement said: “The secretary and Foreign Minister Saar agreed that continued close cooperation between their countries is vital to the security and prosperity of the region.”
The meetings came on the same day Pope Leo XIV called for a permanent ceasefire and “the safe entry of humanitarian aid” during his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
The first American pope called for the release of remaining hostages by Hamas and the end of forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel’s military told people remaining in Gaza City to prepare to leave on Wednesday, saying in a social media statement on X that the evacuation of the city was “inevitable”.
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