Gaza Herald – A leaked four-page draft decision obtained by The Guardian has revealed sweeping legal protections proposed for the so-called Peace Council established by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee the administration of the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, the classified document seeks to grant comprehensive immunity to council members, international forces operating under its authority, and contracted personnel involved in reconstruction efforts, shielding them from prosecution, arrest, or legal proceedings inside Gaza.
The draft stipulates that members of the executive council, the office of the High Representative, and participating reconstruction forces would be exempt from appearing before Gaza’s local courts. It also grants Trump exclusive authority to lift immunity from any individual, subject to approval by a majority of the council’s seven executive members, effectively concentrating legal oversight within the council’s leadership.
The proposed council reportedly includes several figures closely associated with Trump, among them Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoft, Susie Wiles, and Marco Rubio, reflecting the plan to exert political and security control over Gaza’s post-war administration.
Beyond legal immunity, the draft grants the council and its forces the right to use public buildings and facilities across Gaza free of charge. Legal experts warned that such provisions could permit the appropriation of public or private property without owners’ consent or compensation, particularly in the absence of a clear legal framework.
On the diplomatic front, sources said the council’s High Representative, Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, has been holding meetings in Cairo with Palestinian officials selected by the council to finalize organizational and logistical arrangements for the start of operations inside Gaza.
The immunity proposal itself has reportedly not yet been presented to the Palestinian authorities.
International legal experts have criticized the draft for creating an autonomous legal regime that operates outside established international oversight mechanisms and appears to sideline the application of international law.
Attorney Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man said that the document is an explicit attempt to secure impunity, warning that serious risks would arise if violations or incidents involving civilians occur during reconstruction operations.
According to contractors involved in the planning process, the council is also considering the establishment of a military base for international forces and several logistical centers at strategic locations across Gaza.
The leaked draft points to an effort to establish a new administrative and legal order in Gaza that extends beyond existing international frameworks and diplomatic norms, raising questions about its legitimacy and the extent to which it will be accepted by Palestinian and international actors. Under the proposal, the framework could enter into force through the signature of the High Representative alone, without the need for bilateral agreements.
