(AFP) – A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza was moving into its second phase, Washington’s top negotiator said Wednesday, as Palestinian factions agreed on the make-up of a post-war governing committee. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on X that phase two of the US leader’s 20-point plan would shift the Palestinian territory “from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction”.
Phase one, launched in October, involved a ceasefire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, partial Israeli withdrawal and a surge of humanitarian aid. Under the second phase, Gaza would be run by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee supervised by a so-called “Board of Peace”, to be chaired by Trump himself. Egypt said all the members of the committee had been agreed upon by all Palestinian factions, which swiftly offered their support. Ali Shaath, former Palestinian deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, was named to lead the body, according to a joint statement by mediators Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. The PA — which is dominated by Fatah, Hamas’s rival — governs parts of the occupied West Bank not under Israeli control. The mediators did not disclose the remaining names.
Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he hoped the committee would soon be deployed to Gaza to “manage daily life and essential services”. Palestinian factions, including Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad, said they would support the committee and would help create “the appropriate environment” for it to begin its work. The Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency also announced its support, with a source from the office telling AFP the statement “reflects the position of the Fatah movement because President (Mahmud) Abbas is also the head of Fatah”.
– Disarming –
Hamas has repeatedly said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in the Palestinian territory and would limit its role to monitoring governance to ensure stability and facilitate reconstruction. A senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nunu, meanwhile, told AFP the group welcomed Witkoff’s announcement, adding “the factions will make every effort to ensure the success of the committee’s work”.
Witkoff said that phase two aims for “the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel”. It remains unclear how Hamas, which has long resisted disarmament, would comply. Witkoff said the United States expects the Palestinian group to fulfill its obligations, including the return of the last deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, held in Gaza. “Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,” he added.
Israel had earlier said it would not begin talks on the second phase of the ceasefire until Gvili is returned. In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, together with Gvili’s family, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to honour his commitment” not to proceed to phase two until Gvili is brought home. Netanyahu said he had spoken with Gvili’s parents and assured them the “move to establish a technocratic committee will not affect the efforts to return Ran,” though he offered no assessment of the committee itself or the progression to phase two.
– Next steps –
Discussions in Cairo have also focused on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reopening of the Rafah crossing, the entry of aid currently stockpiled on the Egyptian side of the border, and preparations for launching the second phase of the ceasefire plan, a senior Hamas official told AFP. The US-proposed Board of Peace is expected to be led on the ground by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov, who has recently held talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials. Mladenov previously served as the United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020.
Media reports say Trump is expected to announce the members of the Board of Peace in the coming days, with the body set to include around 15 world leaders.
bur-my-bha-jd-maf/phz – Bahira Amin with AFP team in Gaza
© 2024 AFP
