Egyptsaid Wednesday that all the members of a 15-person Palestinian technocratic committee meant to administer post-warGazahad been agreed upon by all Palestinian factions, who swiftly offered their support.
Under a 20-point Gaza truce planbrokered by US PresidentDonald Trumpin October, the Palestinian territory would be governed by the committee operating under the supervision of a so-called "Board of Peace", to be chaired by Trump himself.
Meanwhile, Trump's envoy said Wednesday that the plan to end the Gaza war was now moving to Phase Two with a goal of disarmingHamas, despite a number of Israeli strikes during theceasefire.
"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," envoySteve Witkoffwrote on X.
Phase Two "begins the full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorised 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 said.
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Hamas officials said earlier in the day that the group had opened talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on the committee.
"We hope that following this agreement, the committee will be announced soon... and will then be deployed to the Gaza Strip to manage daily life and essential services," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said.
The majority of the Palestinian factions offered their support to the committee after Abdelatty's announcement.
In a statement, the factions including Hamas andIslamic Jihadsaid they had agreed "to support the mediators' efforts in forming the Palestinian National Transitional Committee to administer the Gaza Strip, while providing the appropriate environment" for it to begin its work.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency also announced its support in official media, with a source from the office telling AFP the statement "reflects the position of theFatahmovement because President (Mahmud) Abbas is also the head of Fatah".
The Cairo meeting aimed to address the formation of the committee and its operational mechanisms, a senior Hamas official had previously told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Potential committee heads
Separately, the Hamas delegation was also to hold talks in Cairo with leaders of other Palestinian factions on "political, national and field developments" and the state of the Gaza ceasefire, the official added.
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.
Talks with Egyptian mediators were 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, the official said.
Abdelatty did not name any of the agreed-upon committee members.
But two names circulating as potential heads were Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister of planning in thePalestinian Authority, and Majed Abu Ramadan, the current minister of health, the second official said.
The Trump 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 theMiddle Eastpeace 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.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
