President Donald Trump’s advisers are brushing aside public statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, underscoring a widening rift over who controls the diplomacy as Washington pushes ahead with its own plan.

“This is our show, not his show,” a senior U.S. official told Axios, describing a White House determined to press forward despite Israeli objections. The official said the administration has achieved progress in Gaza “nobody thought was possible” and intends to continue. “If he wants us to deal with Gaza, it will have to be our way,” the official added, arguing that Netanyahu has little leverage to block the American approach.

The message from Washington, according to the official, is: accept U.S. terms or face a return to fighting, with Israel sending IDF troops back into Gaza while the United States steps aside. “We’re doing him a favor,” the official said, adding that Netanyahu could distance himself politically if the plan fails, or take credit if it succeeds.

The comments came as Trump announced the creation of a new international body to oversee Gaza’s postwar transition, a centerpiece of his administration’s 20-point peace plan that produced the ceasefire with Hamas last October. Posting on Truth Social late Thursday, Trump said the “Board of Peace for Gaza” had been formed and promised to reveal its members soon, calling it “the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled.”

Under the plan, the Board of Peace would function as a transitional oversight authority during Gaza’s reconstruction, supervising an interim administration. Day-to-day governance would be handled by a technocratic Palestinian Arab committee, overseen by an intermediate executive body. Trump himself would chair the board, which is expected to include 10 to 15 leaders from Arab, Western and other countries. A senior representative on the ground in Gaza would be former U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov.

The proposed composition has set off alarms in Jerusalem. Turkey and Qatar — both supportive of Hamas and hostile to Israeli interests — are expected to be significant participants. On Saturday night, the Prime Minister’s Office said that announcements regarding the Gaza executive body subordinate to the Board of Peace “were not coordinated with Israel and run contrary to its policy,” adding that Netanyahu had instructed Israel’s foreign minister to raise the issue with Washington.

Trump’s declaration followed comments from U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who said the administration would move ahead with implementing the second phase of the Gaza plan even as unresolved hostage issues linger.

Hamas was required under the ceasefire to return all hostages in Phase One, but the body of Ran Gvili — the last remaining hostage — is still being held in Gaza. Hamas has claimed it does not know where Gvili’s body is, despite Israeli officials saying they provided information on the burial site that went unacknowledged.

Israel has insisted it will not accept the second phase of the agreement until Hamas fulfills all its first-phase obligations, including the return of Gvili. The White House, however, appears prepared to press on, betting that American leverage, rather than Israeli consent, will determine whether the fragile ceasefire holds and whether Gaza’s next chapter unfolds on Washington’s terms.

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