EX-MOSSAD chief Yossi Cohen has passionately backed Tony Blair to govern Gaza after the war.
Cohen, also Benjamin Netanyahu’s former national security advisor, said it was an “amazing move” after the former PM for him to oversee Gaza.
Yossi Cohen, former head of Mossad, has thrown his support behind Tony Blair taking charge of a transitional governing body in Gaza
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has pitched himself to Trump as the man to see Gaza through the post-war period
Much of the Gaza Strip has been decimated after almost two years of bombardment
Sitting down with The Sun, Mr Cohen said it was an “amazing move from Blair”, and insisted they would work well together.
Cohen said: “This is the main problem – what do we do the day after? And who is going to take care of the close to 2.2 million people?
“We need someone to run the show in the Gaza Strip and stop it deteriorating into the hands of Hamas.
“Tony Blair’s initiative and willingness to do that is highly appreciated. God bless him.”
But Cohen threw out the chance of a Palestinian state, the endgame of Blair’s plan, vowing: “That’s not happening.
“They [the Palestinian Authority] had their chance, and they turned this place into the darkest hole in the world.”
Cohen has hinted he wants to take over as Prime Minister from Netanyahu – so could wind up in a close working relationship if the hat falls onto Blair.
He said of this prospect: “I know him very well. I can work with him anytime on everything – he’s an amazing guy.”
The former Labour Prime Minster has pitched himself to Donald Trump as the man to guide Gaza through the days after the war.
Under the plans, he would head up the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA) – with backing from the UN and Gulf nations – until the Palestinian Authority was in shape to take over.
Notably, the plan does not involve the displacement of any people from Gaza
After bounding through various visions of Gaza – including the whacky “Riviera of the Middle East” – Trump seems to be placing his bets on Sir Tony.
He has reportedly instructed Blair to drum up support from regional partners and countries around the world for the proposals.
Blair has been concocting the plan since the early days of the war and has garnered the backing of Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser .
Mr Cohen firmly rejected the prospect of the creation of a Palestinian state
Families on the move in central Gaza City, where Israel has expanded its offensive
Israel says it has instructed Gaza City’s residents to move south where they will be ‘safe’
He attended a White House policy session in August – described by Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff as “very comprehensive”.
Trump backed that plan before presenting the idea to the leaders of , Pakistan, Indonesia and five Arab nations at the General Assembly in this week.
Inbuilt to the plan, however, is the assumption that the Palestinian Authority would eventually regain control of the strip – paving the way for a Palestinian state.
Israel has fiercely rejected that prospect – with Netanyahu thundering at the UN on Friday it was “disgraceful” countries including the UK had recognised a Palestinian state.
Trump’s backing of Blair’s roadmap tacitly backs the creation of a Palestinian state in the future – pitting him against Israel on that point.
Cohen said of a two-state solution: “We don’t see that happening. Not right now.
Blair began concocting his plan for the first day after the war soon after October 7
Under his plans, a UN-backed authority would oversee Gaza until the Palestinian Authority was in shape to takeover
“Palestinian leadership is poor – it’s not really there. You can’t call Mahmoud Abbas a leader – he’s not an elected leader or accepted by most of his people.
“The Palestinian Authority had their chance, and they’ve turned this place into the darkest hole in world.
“We gave them everything. We destroyed our houses, synagogues. We took out our dead.”
Cohen was a spy prodigy and the youngest-ever recruit of Mossad – Israel’s notorious overseas intelligence agency – which he led from 2016 to 2021.
Yossi Cohen met Sun reporter Patrick Harrington at the News Building
Yossi Cohen has written a book recounting his career in Mossad
GITA could initially be based in el-Arish, the capital of Egypt’s North Sinai province near Gaza’s south.
It would enter the strip accompanied by a multinational force, according to the plans.
The plan would be funded by the Gulf nations – and Sir Tony would head a team of up to 25 people and lead a seven-person board.
Gaza and the West Bank would be reunited and control would later be handed to the Palestinian Authority, after it had undergone major reform.
Mr Blair’s think tank the Tony Blair Institute said none of its talks with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza had included the idea of forcible relocation of people from the area.
The Sun has contacted the Tony Blair Institute for comment.
