US President Donald Trump has unveiled his proposed peace plan for Gaza — pitching the return of a former British prime minister as its coordinator.
Former PM Tony Blair — under Mr Trump's 20-point draft plan — would become coordinator of the "Board of Peace".
The transitional authority would be in charge of funding and managing the recovery of a post-war Gaza.
According to Mr Blair, the "bold and intelligent" plan could bring "immediate relief" and "the chance of a brighter and better future" to Palestinians.
Others are not so sure.
Blair to join Gaza International Transitional Authority
Under a leaked document detailing Mr Trump's plan, Mr Blair would join the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA), referred to as a "temporary transitional body" in the 20-point plan.
The group would operate close to Gaza's southern border and be led by a council of between seven and 10 members, only one of which would be a Palestinian, according to the document.
They would "set the framework and handle the funding" for Gaza's recovery "until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program".
The overseeing "Board of Peace" would be chaired by Mr Trump, with other members. They could include "heads of state", to be announced at a later date.
Mr Blair is the only planned member named in the plan.
It's far from the first time the former Labour leader has been involved in the Middle East, a region where he is broadly hated.
Mr Blair was prime minister during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, supporting the involvement of the British Armed Forces.
The US and UK invaded Iraq on the basis of removing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and toppling Saddam Hussein.
A 2016 inquiry later singled out Mr Blair in its condemnation of the UK's involvement in the war.
It alleged he had deliberately exaggerated the threat of Hussein, meaning the war was fought on the basis of "flawed" intelligence.
The inquiry's chairman, Sir John Chilcot, said he did not believe Mr Blair had been "straight with the nation" about his decisions in the lead-up to the invasion.
Mr Blair has previously defended his decision to go to war as "the hardest, most momentous, most agonising" moment of his tenure as PM.
Blair's controversial legacy as Middle East envoy
After his resignation in 2007, Blair was immediately made Middle East envoy for the "Quartet", representing the United Nations, US, European Union, and Russia.
The group was initially launched in 2002 to spearhead the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.
[tony blair tweet]Instead, reports emerged of unease in Washington and Europe because of his alleged poor relationships with the Palestinian Authority.
The White House dismissed these claims at the time.
In 2015, Mr Blair announced he would step down from his role — a decision welcomed by some, including the British group, Stop the War Coalition.
The group's national convener labelled Mr Blair's legacy as being one of "a devastated and war-torn Iraq, a Middle East in turmoil, and a much more dangerous world".
Mr Blair should never have held the position, Stop the War's Lindsey German told media.
"We will continue to campaign against the aggressive foreign policy he championed and for him to answer charges of war crimes," she said.
Both the Quartet and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked him for his service.
The Tony Blair Institute and White House meetings
In the years following his stepping down as Middle East envoy, Mr Blair has worked closely with leaders in the region via his non-profit organisation.
The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) — officially the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change — advises on political strategy, policy and technology around the world.
Earlier this year, its staffers were allegedly part of a project which envisaged rebuilding a post-war Gaza as a trading hub.
A slide deck seen by the Financial Times included references to a "Trump Riviera" and an "Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone".
The project also proposed paying half a million Palestinians to leave Gaza and enticing private investors to develop the region.
The institute did not author or endorse the slide deck, but did not deny its staff had been part of discussions surrounding the plan.
In August, Mr Blair joined a White House meeting with Mr Trump regarding a post-war Gaza.
Few details were given about the nature of discussions.
Reports about his potential involvement in leading the transitional authority began several weeks ago.
In his statement following the release of Mr Trump's plan, Mr Blair thanked the US president for his "leadership, determination and commitment".
"It offers us the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering," he said.
