Netanyahu Calls Coalition Meeting Over U.S. Gaza Panel Amid Turkey’s Involvement

Jerusalem, Jan 18: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting with his ruling coalition on Sunday to discuss objections to the composition of a U.S.-led Gaza advisory panel, officials and media reports said.

The White House recently announced the creation of a “Gaza Executive Board,” an advisory body under a broader “Board of Peace” chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump, as part of his 20-point plan to end the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The executive board includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, alongside other regional and international officials. Netanyahu’s office expressed concern over the panel, saying the announcement “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”

“The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the U.S. Secretary of State on this matter,” Netanyahu’s office added, without specifying further. Israel has historically objected to Turkish involvement in post-war Gaza, amid a sharp deterioration in relations since the conflict escalated in October 2023.

Reports said the coalition meeting, scheduled for Sunday morning, will review the executive board’s composition. Netanyahu’s coalition includes his Likud Party, the far-right Religious Zionist Party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), headed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Under Trump’s plan, three bodies will be formed: the overarching Board of Peace chaired by Trump, a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern Gaza, and the Gaza Executive Board in an advisory capacity. The Palestinian technocratic committee held its first session in Cairo on Saturday.

The U.S. recently stated that the Gaza truce plan has moved into a second phase, transitioning from enforcing a ceasefire to focusing on the disarmament of Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the Israeli offensive in Gaza.