US officials said the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire has commenced

No information has been shared about the committee members who will administer the territory, though they are expected to be technocrats rather than political figures.

The US has announced the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which includes the formation of a committee of Palestinian technocrats to manage the daily affairs of the territory during a transitional period.

The announcement was made on social media by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, but it did not include any details or names of potential members of the proposed “National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.”

The committee is not expected to begin its work until it receives approval from a “Peace Board” chaired by Trump, which has yet to be established.

Witkoff said the second phase would involve the “complete demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily through the disarmament of all unauthorized individuals.”

The first phase of the ceasefire plan began on October 10, involving an exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and its allies for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli army withdrew to the yellow ceasefire line, maintaining control over most of the territory.

Israeli bombing of Gaza has decreased but has not stopped entirely. Approximately 450 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. No agreement has been reached on the disarmament of Hamas.

Two groups representing Israeli former hostages and their families had appealed to the US not to announce the start of the second phase of the ceasefire until the remains of the last missing hostage, Ran Gvili, were returned by Hamas.

Hamas has said it has not yet located Gvili’s body. “The US expects Hamas to fully fulfill its obligations, including the immediate return of the last deceased hostage,” Witkoff said. “Failure to do so will have serious consequences.”

While Witkoff did not provide details about the proposed Palestinian interim committee, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced a few hours earlier that all 15 members had been agreed upon.

Shoukry said the committee would be “deployed in the Gaza Strip to manage daily life and essential services.”

The members are expected to be technocrats rather than politicians, although some are believed to be affiliated with the Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority.

Two candidates considered potential heads of the committee are Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister of planning in the Palestinian Authority, and Majid Abu Ramadan, the PA’s health minister.

According to regional diplomats, the Palestinian transitional committee will be overseen by Nikolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian and UN diplomat who has been touring the region and holding talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Mladenov served as the UN envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 to the end of 2020 and is highly respected throughout the region.

Mladenov will, in turn, report to Trump’s peace board, which is expected to include a group of world leaders. US officials said the membership would be announced in the coming days.

The second phase of talks in Cairo reportedly focused on a further withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, and the delivery of aid stockpiled on the Egyptian side of the border—as well as a general increase in the supply of goods and aid to Gaza.