US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee questioned whether the Board of Peace would be able to carry out US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza without additional planning and resources from the US government, according to a cable obtained by Politico.
The cable, reportedly sent to State Department leadership on Thursday, detailed Huckabee’s concerns about whether the Board of Peace and the US Embassy in Jerusalem had enough personnel to oversee plans to disarm Hamas and begin reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Jerusalem embassy unprepared to take over IGSC responsibilities
Huckabee’s concerns focused on the International Gaza Support Center, the main hub for coordinating between the US, Israel, and international partners, according to Politico. The cable questioned whether the center could maintain operations as the Pentagon planned to reduce its personnel presence over the next year, with civilian staff expected to take over their responsibilities.
“Embassy Jerusalem is not currently staffed to assume these roles, but can be if it has an idea of the human, financial and logistical resources that will be needed,” Huckabee wrote. “The BoP is working to increase staff, but its ability to cover all functions at the IGSC remains unclear.”
The cable, marked “sensitive but unclassified,” also warned that replacing military personnel with civilians at the coordination center could complicate cooperation with the Israeli military, particularly regarding intelligence sharing, Politico reported.
“How will roles and responsibilities shift to State and the BoP as DoW reduces its presence?” Huckabee asked State Department leadership. “How will we keep critical IGSC workstreams running and what conditions should be met before this transition begins?”
Huckabee told Fox News that the Board of Peace “could be moving forward progressively, but the only reason that there’s any slowdown is because of Hamas.”
Huckabee specifically cited Hamas’s failure to follow through on its commitment to disarm as an obstacle to progress on the cable.
The Jerusalem Post reported in August that the high representative for the Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, criticized Israel for continued strikes on Gaza after a cease-fire was reached in October 2025, and Israel's refusal to allow the NCAG into Gaza.
"There is a ceasefire, and it holds, but it is not perfect. It is far from perfect. There are violations every day, some of which are very serious and significant. And let’s be honest about these violations and what they actually mean: the meaning is that civilians are still being killed. Families are living in fear. Delays and restrictions continue to affect humanitarian access and the daily lives of many Palestinians," Mladenov said after meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May.
“The National Committee is ready to enter, govern, and protect wherever coercion is removed, and the conditions are right,” he added.
Mladenov also condemned Israel's decision to cut off commercial goods from entering Gaza at the time.
“As I have warned repeatedly, such practices are unacceptable and must end immediately. The intimidation of merchants and interference in the supply chain only deepen the suffering of Gaza's civilians,” Mladenov posted.
“These developments demonstrate why the rapid deployment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) supported by the International Stabilization Force (ISF) is urgently needed,” he wrote.
Board of Peace not familiar with Huckabee's cable
The Board of Peace said it was not familiar with the cable but expressed confidence in its preparations for Gaza.
“We are confident in the highly detailed plans that have been developed for improved humanitarian assistance, security, governance, the rule of law, infrastructure development, and reconstruction in Gaza,” the organization said in a statement. “Our capacities and systems in place are strong and ready for implementation.”
The cable also raised concerns that delays in reconstruction could weaken the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the Palestinian technocratic body established to govern the Strip.
Huckabee argued that humanitarian assistance should be coordinated with the committee’s priorities and longer-term reconstruction plans to prevent setbacks and strengthen its credibility.
“Humanitarian assistance should surge in line with NCAG and administration priorities,” he wrote, adding that aid should complement longer-term reconstruction efforts “to prevent backsliding and demonstrate the NCAG’s credibility.”
The cable also said the US would press foreign donors to “do their fair share to address humanitarian needs.”
Sarah Moskowitz contributed to this report.