Israel's Prime Minister's Office stated during the reporting window from 3:16 PM to 4:46 PM UTC on January 17, 2026, that the announcement of the Gaza Executive Committee's composition, subordinate to the Peace Conference and including Turkish and Qatari members, was not coordinated with Israel and contradicts its policy, instructing Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to contact the US Secretary of State, according to a statement reported by Nitzan Shpirא on Telegram. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized the Netanyahu government in a statement shared by Amichai Stein on the political channel, warning for a year that failure to advance an Egyptian solution would lead to Turkish and Qatari involvement in Gaza alongside Hamas forces estimated at 30,000 armed men by the IDF. Netanyahu attributed responsibility to Foreign Minister Sa'ar, noting coordination between his bureau and US President Donald Trump on the announcement, as reported by Suleiman & Blumenthal, though the Prime Minister's Office refused further elaboration on the opposition at this stage. This development follows the Turkish Presidency's earlier confirmation today that Trump invited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join the Gaza Board of Peace, linking to the now-announced committee composition.
