Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair has been involved in discussions about leading a post-war transitional authority in Gaza, the BBC understands.

The proposal, which is said to have backing from the White House, would see Blair lead a governing authority supported by the UN and Gulf nations – before handing control back to Palestinians.

His office said he would not support any proposal that displaced the people of Gaza.

Sir Tony, who took the UK into the Iraq War in 2003, has been part of high-level planning talks with the US and other parties about the future of Gaza.

In August, he joined a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the territory, which US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff described as “very comprehensive” – though little else was disclosed about the meeting.

After leaving office in 2007, Blair served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (the US, EU, Russia and the UN). He focused on bringing economic development to Palestine and creating the conditions for a two state-solution.

As PM, he took the decision to commit British forces to the 2003 Iraq War that was heavily criticised in the official inquiry into the conflict, which found he had acted on flawed intelligence without certainty about the production of weapons of mass destruction there.

Reports of discussions about his involvement in a transitional authority for Gaza come after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that he was ready to work with Trump and other world leaders to implement a two-state peace plan.

Abbas stressed his rejection of a future governing role for Hamas in Gaza and demanded it disarm.

Earlier this week, the UK formally recognised the state of Palestine alongside France, Canada, Australia, and several other countries. Israel and the US criticised the move as a “reward for Hamas”.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 65,419 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. A UN commission of inquiry has said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denies.

Some 260 suspected cyber scammers have been arrested in a sting operation carried out across 14 African countries.

The operation, coordinated by Interpol and funded by the UK, targeted criminal networks using social media and digital platforms to extract money from victims in romance scams, and in so-called “sextortion,” where victims are blackmailed using explicit imagery.

More than 1,400 victims across Ghana, Kenya, Angola and elsewhere were identified, with Interpol estimating their total losses at nearly $2.8m (£2.1m).

The global police network said it was committed to “disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online”.

During the crackdown which was carried out between July and August, police identified IP addresses, digital infrastructure, domains and social media profiles linked to members of the scam syndicates.

These leads and the subsequent arrests also resulted in the seizure of USB drives, Sim cards and forged documents, as well as the taking-down of 81 cybercrime groups across Africa, Interpol said.

“Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams,” said Cyril Gout, the acting executive director of police services at Interpol.

He said the growth of online platforms had opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims “causing both financial loss and psychological harm”.

About 68 suspects were arrested in Ghana, where authorities seized 835 devices and identified 108 victims during the operation. Investigators there recovered $70,000 from the estimated $450,000 in financial losses.

Scammers in Ghana extracted payments using a range of schemes, including fake courier and customs shipment fees. They secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats and used them to blackmail people.

In Senegal, police arrested 22 suspects and uncovered a network that impersonated celebrities and used emotional manipulation on social media and dating platforms to defraud 120 victims of approximately $34,000.

A total of 65 devices, forged identification documents and money transfer records were seized during the operation in Senegal.

And in Ivory Coast, police arrested 24 suspects, seized 29 devices and identified 809 victims. Scammers used fake profiles online to blackmail victims, demanding payments to prevent public exposure.

Eight suspects were arrested in Angola where authorities identified 28 domestic and international victims, primarily targeted via social media. Scammers used fraudulent documents to create fake identities, facilitating financial transactions and concealing their real identities while engaging victims.

Other countries involved in the operation under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime project include Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.