TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, on Wednesday announced the launch of phase two of the U.S.-mediated peace plan to end Israel's genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
This is marked by the formation of a technocratic Palestinian body that will be involved in managing the war-torn area under the U.S. gradual plan for the future of Gaza.
“Today, on behalf of President Trump, 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,” Witkoff said in a post on X as quoted by Al Arabiya.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has violated the ceasefire no less than 1,190 times since it went into effect in October. Israel's unlawful onslaught has killed over 400 Palestinians—100 of whom are children—and has blocked essential humanitarian aid from entering the region.
Israel and Hamas agreed to Trump's plan in October, stating that the technocratic body would be overseen by an international "Board of Peace" intended to govern Gaza during the transition period.
The Palestinian body, composed of 15 individuals, launched on Wednesday and will be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority responsible for the development of industrial zones, according to a joint statement by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Other appointees designated by Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN envoy for the Middle East expected to represent the Board of Peace in the field, include individuals from the private sector and NGOs.
Witkoff did not mention how many members would be part of the body or disclose their names.
Another announcement regarding the Board of Peace is expected to be made in Davos next week, according to a European diplomat.
Demilitarization Challenges
The second phase of Trump 20-step peace plan is "full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel.”
“The U.S. 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,” Witkoff added.
Hamas, which has thus far refused to disarm, agreed in October to hand over governance to the technocratic committee.
However, they previously stated that other issues, including the future of Gaza and Palestinian rights, must be addressed within “an inclusive Palestinian national framework, of which we will be an integral part and to which we will contribute with full responsibility.”
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority welcomed Trump's efforts to move forward with the Gaza phased plan, in a statement posted on X by Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh, expressing support for the committee.
Sheikh stated that institutions in Gaza should be linked to institutions managed by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, “upholding the principle of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon.”
Israel Continues to Violate Ceasefire
The first phase of Trump's plan, which included a ceasefire and an agreement for hostage release, has been marred by various issues, including Israel's violations that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.
Despite this, Trump stated that he wants to proceed to the second phase. This development would encompass the formation of the Board of Peace and the deployment of peacekeeping forces, which have not yet been agreed upon.
Hamas leaders and other Palestinian factions are in Cairo for discussions on the second phase, the group said. Egyptian sources said discussions with Hamas will now focus on the group's disarmament.
Further Israeli troop withdrawals in Gaza are linked to disarmament, although Hamas stated that it would only relinquish its weapons when the Palestinian state is established.
Hamas and its rival faction, Fatah, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, have both supported the proposed members list for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), according to Palestinian and Egyptian sources.
The list will also include head of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, Ayed Abu Ramadan, and Omar Shamali, who has previously worked for the Palestinian Telecommunications Group PALTEL, according to Palestinian sources.
Detriment to Palestinian People
Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst at Al Jazeera, questioned how the U.S.-led plan to end the Israel's genocide in Gaza will succeed, noting that the process is "rigged in favor of Israel."
“How can you have a just process moving forward if one party is favored all the time against the other party?” Bishara said, adding that the freedom and rights of Palestinians have largely been ignored.
“The people in Gaza continue to suffer … while President Trump and his entourage are celebrating [and] are ‘peacemakers,’ as it were,” he said.
“Israel is not interested in leaving Gaza. The United States is not interested in pressuring Israel. And so I think that phase two, we’ll be stuck [there] for a very, very long time.”
Meanwhile, the UN and leading humanitarian groups working in Gaza continue to call on Israel to allow unhindered delivery of aid to the territory, including food, shelter supplies, and equipment needed to clear rubble and rebuild homes.
Legal experts noted that ongoing restrictions violate Israel's obligations, as the occupying power in the Gaza Strip, to meet the needs of Palestinian residents in the territories under its control.
This also contradicts the U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement, which orders Israel to allow 600 aid trucks into the territory every day.
Against this backdrop, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families have sought shelter in inadequate tent camps and other emergency accommodations, leaving them exposed to harsh winter conditions.
Separately on Wednesday, a medical staff member at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was killed after being shot by Israeli forces near the Bani Suheila roundabout east of the city, according to sources conveyed to Al Jazeera.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that at least 15 bodies were brought to local hospitals in the last 24 hours, including 13 found from the rubble.
More than 71,400 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 171,000 others injured in Israel's genocide in Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Read: At Least 100 Palestinian Children Killed by Israel Since Ceasefire Began
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
