U.S. Launches Phase Two of Trump's Gaza Cease-fire Plan, Transition to Palestinian Technocratic Governance
Earlier Wednesday, an agreement was reached on forming a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern the Gaza Strip under the U.S.-backed plan aimed at ending the war, Egypt's foreign minister said. Envoy Witkoff did not announce the establishment of the Board of Peace, which is slated to oversee the committee's work
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday the transition to phase two of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, including the establishment of a Palestinian committee to administer the enclave.
Witkoff said the move marks a shift "from cease-fire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction. He stressed that the United States "expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage," warning that failure to do so would result in "serious consequences."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the parents of the last deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, and said that the American move to phase two of the cease-fire agreement "would not affect efforts to return Ran for burial in Israel," according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
Gvili's parents reiterated in a statement that "whatever developments may occur will not impact the efforts or the demand to return Rani."
Earlier, an agreement was reached on forming a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern the Gaza Strip under a U.S.-backed plan aimed at ending the war, Egypt's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
The committee will be comprised of 15 members, and its establishment will be announced soon, said Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Sources who spoke with Haaretz said most members are independent professionals from Gaza who are not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, though some have ties to Fatah.
One of the designated members, Ayed Abu Ramadan, said all committee members are expected to travel to Cairo soon, where they will begin their work.
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To begin operating, committee members must formally receive appointment letters from the Board of Peace, which is expected to oversee the committee's work. The White House may also announce the establishment of the Board of Peace soon, a source familiar with the details told Haaretz on Tuesday.
Even if Washington makes such an announcement, it remains unclear where the funding will come from to finance the committee's work, as well as reconstruction and operating costs in Gaza.
Palestinian officials who spoke with Haaretz warned of difficulties in implementing the agreed details on the ground. They said it is unclear when the committee will be able to begin operating or whether Hamas will cooperate with it. However, a senior Hamas source told Qatar's Al-Araby channel that the group has not expressed opposition to the proposed names for committee members.
Despite the uncertainty, local sources view the establishment of the management committee as a transition to a new phase in Gaza, one based on professional expertise and civilian administration while maintaining a distance from party-based government structures. At this stage, however, it is unclear whether the new administration will enjoy real freedom of action or broad public legitimacy, or whether it will be able to address the challenges of reconstruction, the economy and restoring public trust after two years of war.
The designated committee members have worked for years in economic, social and public institutions in the Gaza Strip, and many have experienced the consequences of the war and the humanitarian crisis firsthand. Even during the difficult months of war, they continued their public activities.
According to the list, the post of committee head is slated for Dr. Nabil Ali Shaath, who previously served as deputy transportation minister in the Palestinian Authority. Shaath is regarded as having extensive experience managing public systems and overseeing complex infrastructure projects. He recently spent time in Ramallah and also visited Cairo as part of the talks to establish the committee.
The finance portfolio will go to engineer Bashir al-Rais, an engineering and financial consultant. His role will be to manage aid and reconstruction budgets in accordance with principles of transparency, oversight and good governance. The post is considered the most sensitive, and it remains unclear where the funds al-Rais will be required to manage will come from.
The economy and trade portfolio is slated for Ayed Abu Ramadan, director general of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is considered a central figure in the business sector and a mediator between the private sector and international actors. He is the brother of Palestinian Authority Health Minister Dr. Maged Abu Ramadan. At one stage, the Palestinian Authority proposed Dr. Abu Ramadan to head the committee, but Israel rejected the nomination.
The security and policing portfolio will be managed by two officials: General Mohammed Tawfiq Helles, considered a veteran and experienced police officer, and Mohammed Nasman, who will be appointed to oversee the ministry's administrative aspects. Helles, with a security and policing background in the Palestinian Authority, is known in professional circles as an institutional officer and, because he is not a prominent media figure, is considered removed from political polarization. Nasman, in contrast, comes from the public administration sector, is well-known in the civilian sphere, and has no ties to any security apparatus.
Under their leadership, the ministry is expected to take Gaza's police out of Hamas control and establish it as a nonpartisan force.
Dr. Arabi Abu Shaaban will be appointed to lead the Land Authority – a post considered one of the most challenging in Gaza due to the scale of destruction, complex ownership issues, and the need for redevelopment planning. The justice portfolio will be held by Mohammed Bseiso, a prominent jurist in Gaza, whose mandate will be to strengthen the judiciary and safeguard it from political influence.
The health portfolio will be led by Dr. Aed Yaghi, director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in Gaza, who brings extensive experience in managing medical emergencies, coordinating with international organizations, and operating field hospitals.
The water and local authorities portfolio will be managed by engineer Ali Barhoum, an adviser to the Rafah municipality with hands-on experience managing water and sewage infrastructure in emergencies.
The agriculture portfolio will go to Abdul Karim Ashour, head of the Agricultural Relief Association. Ashour is active in food security and supporting farmers, particularly in light of the severe damage to farmland caused by the war.
The education portfolio will go to Dr. Jaber al-Daour, president of the University of Palestine, who is expected to address the challenges of rebuilding the education system and implementing alternative learning frameworks after widespread destruction.
The communications and technology portfolio will be led by engineer Omar Shamali, director of the Palestinian telecommunications company in Gaza. Shamali managed communications networks during periods of fighting and communications outages.
Social welfare and women's affairs will be handled by attorney Hana Tarazi, a lawyer and social activist focused on women's rights and protecting vulnerable populations affected by the war. Tarazi is expected to be the only woman on the committee and a member of Gaza's remaining Christian community.
One of the proposed members confirmed to Haaretz that the list is accurate, emphasizing that the central issue is not the appointments themselves but the committee's ability to function in practice. "My colleagues and I won't be able to do anything without tools – and those tools include funding, budgets and practical international support alongside implementation plans," he said. "None of that is clear yet, so it will take more time before we see anything on the ground, if at all."
Palestinian officials involved in the talks told Haaretz that one of the issues delaying an announcement so far concerns the identities of the technocratic committee members. Most of the names proposed – by both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas – were rejected due to Israel's opposition to candidates identified with Fatah or the Palestinian Authority, as well as academics from the Islamic University of Gaza, which is seen as close to Hamas.
At the same time, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday to continue discussions on the second phase of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, according to Palestinian sources. The source said the main problem facing the parties is not only the identity of the individuals, but the broader political and security context in which the committee is expected to operate.
It remains unclear when the committee will be able to begin its work, in part due to concerns that Hamas may not cooperate in transferring control of government ministries to the committee. The technocratic committee was established as a professional framework to manage vital portfolios away from political disputes, to ensure the continued provision of basic services, reorganize economic and productive sectors and prepare the ground for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza.
Palestinian officials said there are also no clear agreements yet on the establishment of a multinational stabilization force in Gaza, its authorities, or how it would address the issue of Hamas weapons. Added to this is the question of funding – the Board of Peace meant to accompany the process has yet to be formed, and it is unclear when it could begin operating. Even if principled agreements are reached in the coming weeks, it remains unclear what practical tools will be available to the committee.
The officials also expressed concern that statements about the committee would remain theoretical, saying Israel has no interest in the success of the process, which would force it to deal with withdrawal from Gaza.
Separately, another source familiar with the details told Haaretz on Tuesday that the White House may announce the establishment of the Board of Peace to manage Gaza within the next 24 hours. The council is to be built hierarchically – with national leaders at the top level and dignitaries and business figures at the middle level.
Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, the former UN envoy to the Middle East peace process, is slated to head the board's executive arm. Beneath him, at the lowest level of the council, a team will work on liaison with the technocratic committee.