America said Wednesday that it’s moving into the subsequent phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan that involves disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that may administer each day affairs in Gaza under American supervision.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X that the ceasefire deal that the Republican president helped broker was entering its second phase following two years of war between Israel and Hamas, including the establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza.
But Witkoff didn’t offer any details about who would serve on the brand new transitional Palestinian administration that may govern Gaza. Trump’s White House didn’t immediately offer any more information, either.
The mediators of the ceasefire deal — Egypt, Turkey and Qatar — welcomed the establishment of the committee and said it could be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister within the Palestinian Authority.
“That is a crucial development to enhance the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” they said in a joint statement.
The Gaza native served as a deputy minister for transportation with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Shaath, an engineer, is an authority in economic development and reconstruction, based on his biography on the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute’s website.
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Witkoff said that the U.S. expects Hamas to right away return the ultimate dead hostage as a part of its obligations under the deal.
While Wednesday’s announcement indicates a key step forward, a brand new government in Gaza and ceasefire face a variety of huge challenges — including the deployment of a world security force to supervise the deal and the difficult strategy of disarming Hamas.
Appointees to a technocratic committee are a part of a broader plan to finish Hamas’ 18-year rule of Gaza. The appointees will run day-to-day affairs in Gaza, under the oversight of a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose members have also not yet been named.
The ceasefire reached under Trump’s 20-point plan took effect in October and stopped much of the fighting. Under the primary phase of the three-phase deal, Hamas released all but one hostage it was holding in exchange for a whole bunch of Palestinians who were held by Israel.
The technocratic committee that Witkoff said can be established under the second phase will probably be tasked with providing public services to the greater than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, however it faces towering challenges and unanswered questions, including about its operations and financing.
The United Nations has estimated that reconstruction will cost greater than $50 billion. The method is anticipated to take years, and little money has been pledged to this point.
There is also the more immediate challenge of determining how you can take over basic services after nearly 20 years of Hamas-led rule in Gaza and repeated rounds of conflict with Israel.
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