THE United States says its plan to bring the Gaza war to an end is moving beyond a ceasefire and into a new phase of demilitarisation and post-war governance, following agreement among Palestinian factions on the formation of a technocratic committee to run the territory.
AFP cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Wednesday that the initiative was progressing into its second phase, marking a shift from halting the fighting to restructuring Gaza’s political and security landscape.
Writing on X, Witkoff said phase two of Trump’s 20-point proposal would move Gaza “from ceasefire to demilitarisation, technocratic governance and reconstruction.”
Under the plan brokered in October, Gaza would be administered by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee operating under the supervision of a so-called Board of Peace, to be chaired by Trump himself.
Egypt announced that all members of the proposed committee had been agreed upon by Palestinian factions, which have since voiced support for the arrangement.
According to a joint statement issued by mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, former Palestinian deputy minister Ali Shaath has been appointed to lead the body, although the remaining members were not named.
Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he hoped the committee could soon be deployed to Gaza to “manage daily life and essential services.”
Earlier on Wednesday, a senior Hamas official told AFP that the group was holding talks with mediators in Cairo to address both the formation of the committee and how it would function on the ground.
Later, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad issued a joint statement declaring their support for mediators’ efforts to establish what they described as a Palestinian National Transitional Committee, and pledged to help create “the appropriate environment” for it to begin work.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency also announced its backing through official media, with a source from the office telling AFP that the statement “reflects the position of the Fatah movement because President (Mahmud) Abbas is also the head of Fatah.”
Hamas has repeatedly said it does not seek a direct role in any future governing authority in Gaza, stating that its involvement would be limited to monitoring governance to ensure stability and facilitate reconstruction.
Meanwhile, negotiations in Cairo have also focused on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the reopening of the Rafah border crossing, the entry of humanitarian aid currently stockpiled on the Egyptian side, and preparations for implementing the second phase of the ceasefire plan, according to the Hamas official.
Israel has maintained that it will not begin talks on phase two until the last hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili, is returned. In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, together with Gvili’s family, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to honour his commitment” not to move forward with the next phase until Gvili is brought home.
Netanyahu said he had spoken with Gvili’s parents and assured them that the “move to establish a technocratic committee will not affect the efforts to return Ran”, though he did not comment on the committee itself or the timeline for advancing to phase two.
Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP that the group welcomed Witkoff’s announcement, adding that “the factions will make every effort to ensure the success of the committee’s work.”
The second phase of the truce plan is also expected to address the issue of Hamas’s disarmament, a demand the group has consistently rejected.
The proposed US-led Board of Peace is expected to be overseen on the ground by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov, who has recently held discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials. Mladenov previously served as the United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020.
Media reports indicate that Trump is expected to announce the members of the Board of Peace in the coming days, with the body set to comprise around 15 world leaders. - January 15, 2026
