“Silent battle” over Gaza as Washington sidelines Netanyahu, Israeli media say

Tensions are mounting between the United States and Israel over post-war arrangements for governing the Gaza Strip, amid diverging positions following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the formation of an “Executive Council” under a broader “Peace Council” tasked with overseeing Gaza’s administration.

The Israeli daily Maariv reported on Sunday that it is unlikely the initiative announced by Donald Trump will be reversed, describing expectations that Turkey and Qatar could be excluded from any Gaza-related framework as unrealistic. The newspaper said the coming phase would be marked by a “silent battle” over powers, mandates and decision-making authority, centred on who will actually govern Gaza and who will play only an advisory role.

According to the report, Israel is expected to attempt to dilute or sidestep the US plan and strip it of its substance, while Washington will seek to preserve the new framework. Maariv added that Gaza risks becoming an arena where multiple actors speak of control, but only a limited number wield real authority.

In parallel, the US news site Axios quoted a senior US official as saying that the American administration has effectively “bypassed” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Gaza file. The official said Trump’s advisers have little patience for Netanyahu’s objections to moving ahead with the plan, adding: “If Netanyahu wants us to deal with Gaza, it will be on our terms.”

Netanyahu’s office responded by saying that the formation of the executive council was not coordinated with Israel and contradicts Israeli policy. It said that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar would raise the issue with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio.

In his first practical response to the US move, Netanyahu called for an early meeting of Israel’s Security Cabinet to discuss the implications of the appointments announced by Washington as part of the Gaza peace process.