Gaza entering next ceasefire phase as US pushes to disarm Hamas
Second phase of fragile ceasefire in war-torn Gaza envisages a new transitional administration and Hamas giving up arms
The United States said on Wednesday that it was moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan that involves disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that would administer daily affairs in Gaza under American supervision.
US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X that the 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.
While Wednesday’s announcement indicated a key step forward, a new government in Gaza and the ceasefire agreement face a number of huge challenges - including the deployment of an international security force to supervise the deal and the difficult process of disarming Hamas.
Witkoff did not offer any details about who would serve on the new transitional Palestinian administration that would govern Gaza. The White House did not immediately offer any more information, either.
The other mediators of the ceasefire deal - Egypt, Turkey and Qatar - welcomed the establishment of the Palestinian technocratic committee and said it would be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.
In a joint statement, the three countries called it an “important development … aimed at consolidating stability and improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip”.