The United States will push forward with the next phase of its plan for peace in Gaza, moving toward "demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction," President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday.
The second phase will see the establishment of a "transitional technocratic Palestinian administration" in Gaza, Witkoff said in a post on X, as well as the beginning of the "demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel."
The technocratic committee set to oversee Gaza will be headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister of Palestinian planning, a statement from mediator Qatar said.
Witkoff did not offer details of any immediate further steps, with the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of Gaza proving sticking points in earlier negotiations.
The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, welcomed the development and the formation of bodies intended to administer Gaza. Egypt and Turkey, which helped broker the agreement, also welcomed the announcement.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al Jazeera that the announcement was a positive development and that the group is willing to hand over control of Gaza. The group said it would engage in discussions about the future of its weaponry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his “top priority” remains the return of the final Israeli hostage body held in Gaza, saying “the declarative move to establish a technocratic committee” would not affect the effort.
A ceasefire has largely held in Gaza since the first phase of the peace plan was unveiled by Trump in October. Israel and Hamas have both accused each other of breaching the ceasefire and failing to honor their commitments under the agreement. Nearly 450 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The first phase was expected to see Hamas release all the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, while an increased amount of aid would flow into the Palestinian enclave, around half of which has remained under Israeli military control.
All living hostages have been freed and almost all the bodies of dead hostages handed over. The body of hostage Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer killed during the attack, has yet to be returned to Israel. Hamas has said it is still searching for his body.
Ran Gvili's parents, Talik and Itzik Gvili, said following a call with Netanyahu: "The announcement regarding the establishment of a technocratic committee and any other initiative will neither contradict nor affect efforts to return Rani for burial in Israel."
"The Rafah crossing also remains closed despite pressure, because we are insisting on Rani's return," they said, in a statement issued via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Witkoff said that the U.S. “expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage,” adding: “Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.”
The flow of aid into Gaza has increased since the ceasefire came into effect, but the United Nations warned last week that some essential supplies are still being denied.
Famine conditions in Gaza City have eased since the ceasefire began in October, but the situation remains critical, with the entire strip still at risk of starvation, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s leading authority on food crises.
