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The next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, announced by US envoy Witkoff, aims at disarming Hamas and establishing a Palestinian technocratic committee. This follows ongoing clashes and Israel's demand for the return of hostages. Over 71,430 people have died in Israeli strikes since the war began.
President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday announced the next phase of Gaza ceasefire plan, aimed at disarming Hamas, even as Israel carried out a series of strikes during the ceasefire period.
He said the United States expects Hamas to fully meet its commitments, including the immediate return of the last deceased hostage, warning that failure to comply would result in “serious consequences”.
“We are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict," US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X.
Gaza ceasefire plan: What does the next phase include?
The next phase will involve the war-ravaged enclave “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” Witkoff said. It will also involve establishing a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee to oversee Gaza after the war. Egypt, a close US ally and mediator, announced the formation of the body earlier on Wednesday.
The newly formed 15-member Palestinian committee announced on Wednesday will be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority who previously oversaw the development of industrial zones, according to a joint statement from mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
Additional members, selected by former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to serve as the Board of Peace’s representative on the ground, include figures from the private sector and non-governmental organisations, according to a list seen by Reuters.
Witkoff did not specify the size of the committee or identify its members.
Israel-Hamas tensions
Intermittent clashes between Israel and Hamas have continued since the peace agreement, including Israeli airstrikes. Hamas has not yet returned the remains of the final hostage from the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that sparked the war, a key requirement of the first phase of Trump’s proposal, according to AFP.
Over 71,430 people have died in Israeli strikes on Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.
Meanwhile, the move could prompt frustration in Israel, which had insisted that Hamas release all remaining hostages before the second phase begins. Israeli authorities say police officer Ran Gvili was killed while resisting the 2023 Hamas attack and that his body was taken into Gaza.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose administration governs the West Bank, said in a statement on Wednesday that he “welcomed the efforts made by President Donald Trump to complete the implementation of his peace plan” following the announcement of the Palestinian committee.
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