Gaza Administration Committee Holds First Meeting in Cairo as Phase Two Begins
NEWS
Gaza’s newly formed technocratic administration committee began its work in Cairo, focusing on relief and reconstruction, as phase two of the ceasefire unfolds amid continued Israeli pressure.
The first meeting of the Gaza Administration Committee convened on Friday in Cairo, according to Egyptian media, marking the formal launch of the body tasked with overseeing civil administration, relief, and postwar reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
Qahera News TV reported that the initial session of the Palestinian National Committee focused on urgent humanitarian relief and early reconstruction planning.
The committee’s formation follows recent talks among Palestinian factions in Cairo and the announcement by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that the ceasefire agreement had entered its second phase.
The second phase centers on a framework that combines a Palestinian technocratic administration with an international stabilization arrangement, operating under a proposed Peace Council.
The plan envisions the committee managing daily life and basic services in Gaza as Israeli forces withdraw, while international actors oversee security on a temporary basis.
According to multiple regional and international reports, the committee is chaired by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian deputy planning minister. Its members include figures responsible for key portfolios such as telecommunications, agriculture, health, trade and economy, education, finance, water and municipal services, and social affairs.
Speaking later on Friday, Shaath said the committee has secured a one-year operational budget from donor states, allowing it to begin work immediately. He added that efforts are underway to establish an international reconstruction and relief fund through the World Bank, describing it as essential for Gaza’s recovery.
“Our goal is to give the Palestinian people hope that there is a future,” Shaath said, adding that the committee’s immediate objective is to bring “smiles to the faces of Gaza’s children, women, and men.”
The launch of the committee comes as Witkoff reiterated that engagement with Hamas remains necessary and stressed the importance of reopening the Rafah crossing, which Israel has kept closed since seizing it militarily in May 2024.
Witkoff said advancing to the second phase of the agreement is critical for both Palestinians and Israelis, despite Israel continuing to condition key steps on unresolved issues.
Israel’s delays in fully implementing the ceasefire—including restrictions on crossings and continued military activity in Gaza—have raised concerns among Palestinian officials and mediators that the transition process remains fragile.
The Gaza administration committee’s work begins against the backdrop of a devastated enclave, where more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since October 2023 and much of the territory’s infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving relief and reconstruction as urgent priorities.
(PC, Anadolu)