The United States is moving into the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, as announced by Special Presidential Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff. The plan that includes disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged enclave and setting up a technocratic Palestinian administration to run Gaza’s daily affairs under American supervision.Witkoff, in a post on X said, “Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.”Further expanding what the plan would include he added, “Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel. The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.”He also made a callback to the first phase and called it “historic”. “Importantly, Phase One delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire, returned all living hostages and the remains of twenty-seven of the twenty-eight deceased hostages. We are deeply grateful to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible.” Witkoff did not provide details on who would serve in the transitional Palestinian administration, and the White House did not immediately offer further clarification. He said Washington expects Hamas to immediately return the final deceased hostage still in its custody, as required under the ceasefire agreement. While the announcement marks a significant step forward, the ceasefire and governance transition face major hurdles. These include deploying an international security force to oversee the agreement and navigating the complex process of disarming Hamas after its 18-year rule of Gaza. Under the plan, a technocratic committee will take over day-to-day governance in Gaza. The appointees have not been publicly named and will operate under the oversight of a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose members have also yet to be disclosed. The ceasefire, based on Trump’s 20-point plan, took effect in October and largely halted fighting. During the first phase, Hamas released all but one hostage in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. The technocratic committee will be responsible for delivering public services to Gaza’s more than 2 million residents, but it faces daunting challenges. Key questions remain around its authority, operational capacity and sources of funding. The United Nations estimates that rebuilding Gaza will cost more than $50 billion and take several years, with limited funding pledged so far.
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