The United States said on Wednesday it will enter the next phase of a plan to end the war in Gaza, which includes disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-torn area and establishing a group of Palestinian experts to manage day-to-day affairs in Gaza under American supervision.
US President Donald Trump’s ambassador, Steve Witkoff, said in an X post that the cease-fire agreement the Republican president helped broker is entering its second phase following the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, including the establishment of a technical government in Gaza.
But Witkoff did not provide details about who will serve in the new Palestinian interim government that will govern Gaza. Trump’s White House did not immediately provide further details.
The negotiators of the ceasefire agreement – Egypt, Turkey and Qatar – welcomed the establishment of the committee and said it would be chaired by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.
“This is an important development to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” they said in a joint statement.
This native of Gaza served as deputy minister of transport with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Shaath, an engineer, specializes in economic development and reconstruction, according to his biography on the website of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute.
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Witkoff said the US expects Hamas to return the last hostage immediately as part of its obligations under the deal.
While Wednesday’s announcement marks an important step forward, the new government in Gaza and the end of the war face many challenges – including the deployment of an international security force to oversee the deal and the difficult process of disarming Hamas.
Those appointed to the technical committee are part of a broader plan to end the 18-year rule of Hamas in Gaza. The appointees will handle day-to-day affairs in Gaza, under the direction of a Trump-led “Peace Board”, whose members have also not been named.
A ceasefire reached under Trump’s 20-point plan went into effect in October and has halted much of the fighting. Under the first phase of the three-phase deal, Hamas released all but one of its detainees in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel.
The technical committee that Witkoff said will be established under the second phase will provide public services to the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, but faces major challenges and unanswered questions, including its operations and finances.
The United Nations estimates that rebuilding will cost more than $50 billion. The process is expected to take years, and little money has been pledged so far.
There is also the immediate challenge of figuring out how to recover basic services after nearly two decades of Hamas-led rule in Gaza and repeated conflicts with Israel.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
