Three months after the Gaza ceasefire began in October, it appears that some aspects of the US-backed peace plan are taking shape.
It is worth recalling that US President Donald Trump pushed through a peace plan in September and early October that had a multi-phase approach that was supposed to lead to peace in Gaza. The twenty-point plan envisioned a Board of Peace and a transitional technocratic government for Gaza.
There is also supposed to be an international stabilization force. It appears that there is now progress on issues in Gaza. This comes amid continuing tensions regarding the ceasefire. How much progress has been made and what might come next? It is important to first look at what is known about the Gaza plan.
Many aspects of the plan for Gaza have yet to materialize. However, some large challenges have been overcome and have been successful. One hostage, Ran Gvili, remains in Gaza. All the other hostages, living and deceased, have been returned.
The ceasefire has been largely held to by Hamas and Israel, although there have been some incidents every week. For instance, this week, the IDF said, “Six armed terrorists were identified in the western Rafah area, and following searches that were conducted in the area, it is now confirmed that IDF troops eliminated the six terrorists during the exchange of fire.”
Last Friday, the Associated Press reported that “Nickolay Mladenov, the man chosen to serve as director-general for US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Gaza, is a Bulgarian politician and former UN envoy to the Middle East who frequently worked to ease tensions between Israel and Hamas.”
Last Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Mladenov, who is set to become the Director of the Gaza Strip Board of Peace. “The Prime Minister reiterated that Hamas must be disarmed and the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with the 20-point plan of President Trump,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Arab News in Saudi Arabia reported on Wednesday that “British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to accept an offer to sit on a US President Trump-led board that would temporarily run Gaza.”
This was based on a report in the Times in the UK. “The report cited a senior British official as saying the first meeting was expected to take place next week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,” the report at Arab News added.
Now it appears that some members of a technocratic committee for Gaza have also been proposed. Multiple reports in Israeli media and at The New York Times provide some of the potential names. Al-Mayadeen, a pro-Iranian website, has reported on some names.
Who are the alleged potential members of the Gaza technocratic committee?
Palestinian political activist Samer Sinijlawi also reported a similar list of names. He wrote on X that “this is the full list of the Technocratic Government of Gaza, whose first meeting is expected to convene in Cairo soon.” He noted that the following men have been named. They include, “Dr. Ali Shaath- head of the Administrative Committee (former Deputy Minister of Transportation in the Palestinian Authority); Ayed Abu Ramadan – Head of Trade and Economy (Chairman of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce); Eng. Omar Shamali – Head of the Telecommunications Portfolio (Director of Palestinian Telecommunications in Gaza); Abdul Karim Ashour – Head of the Agriculture Portfolio (Director of Agricultural Relief/community activist); Dr. Aed Yaghi – Head of the Health Portfolio (Director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society); Dr. Jaber Al-Daour – Head of the Education Portfolio (President of Palestine University); Bashir Al-Rais – Head of the Finance Portfolio (Engineering and financial consultant).” He also reported that Major General Mohammad Tawfiq Helles and Major General Mohammad Nasman will be the “heads of Police and Security Affairs.”
As more names are released of those connected to what comes next in Gaza, it will be important to measure reactions in Israel and among the Palestinian public. Meanwhile, Fatah said “that any committee formed to govern the Gaza Strip must be headed by a minister from the Palestinian Authority (PA),” according to Xinhua Chinese Media.
“Fatah spokesperson Munther al-Hayek said in a statement that the proposed administrative body must derive its legitimacy from the Ramallah-based PA, warning that Hamas's refusal to cooperate could deepen the political and geographic divide between Gaza and the West Bank.” Hayek said “the Palestinian people are facing a dangerous phase that requires a legitimate political system recognised internationally in order to mobilise global support for relief and reconstruction.”
The overall challenge continues to be clear. It has taken time to get a small number of names for the Board of Peace and the Administration Committee for Gaza. In addition, it is still not clear which forces will be part of the stabilization force. The only major success so far has been the CMCC, the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, where US Central Command helped bring together fifty countries and organizations to quickly boost humanitarian aid.
Nevertheless, the important aspect of the move to begin announcing names is that at least something is happening in Gaza that shows progress. The US had hoped this would happen sooner. However, there are many issues on the White House agenda.
Trump has been dealing with the crisis in Venezuela and also with Iran. Gaza is only one issue in the broader picture. The US is also examining what might happen next in Lebanon and dealing with the crisis in Syria.
As such, Gaza is moving slowly. However, as long as a ceasefire holds and there is peace, then things can move into place. The key will be disarming Hamas and separating it from ruling over 2 million civilians in Gaza.