Blair's peace mission in Gaza aims to make the impossible possible

The former UK leader is the first name on Trump's new 'Board of Peace'. And some say he is the most crucial

- Rachel Sylvester Political Editor

On 27 August, Donald Trump gathered senior advisers in the Oval Office to discuss the escalating crisis in Gaza. Alongside Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, sat a former UK prime minister, Tony Blair. The three men explained to Trump that there would never be peace in the region without a fair settlement in Gaza. They flattered him that his relationship with the Israelis and Arab states made him uniquely placed to strike a deal.

Trump was interested. As they set out their "comprehensive plan" for the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza, he listened intently. Insiders say this was the critical meeting at which the president abandoned his scheme to relocate the Palestinians to other countries and turn Gaza into an American-run "Riviera of the Middle East". Instead, he agreed that the US should push for Gaza to be rebuilt for the Gazans as part of a wider deal in the region. His resolve was only strengthened two weeks later when Israel bombed Qatar, a key US ally.

As ever, Trump was motivated more by self-interest than altruism. One person who knows the president well says: "He'll do anything if he thinks it will get him the Nobel Peace prize." Another describes his foreign policy as "why don't we all make peace so we can all make money?"

Now, though, almost two years since the 7 October attacks on Israel, the diplomatic wheels are spinning. Four days after Trump published his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, Hamas announced it would release the Israeli hostages. The statement issued on Friday night was only a partial acceptance of the terms set out in the plan but Trump decided to accept it and demanded that Israel must "immediately" stop the bombing.