US-backed technocrat leader Ali Shaath made the announcement after President Trump launched a ‘peace commission’ for Gaza.
Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt will reopen next week, a Washington-backed Palestinian technocrat leader has announced, after an almost complete shutdown of the enclave’s administration. Israel’s genocidal war.
Ali Shath made the announcement through a video link during an event hosted by US President Donald Trump on Thursday. World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
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“I am happy to announce that the Rafah crossing will be opened in both directions next week. For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate. It is a lifeline and a symbol of opportunity,” Shaath said.
“The opening of Rafah indicates that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to war,” he added.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has controlled the Rafah crossing since 2024. 10 October Armistice Effectively under Trump’s plan, Israeli officials have stopped reopening them to allow much-needed aid access and people in need of medical treatment to leave.
The cease-fire agreement left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, known as the Yellow Line, including the border crossing.
If implemented, the reopening of the Rafah crossing would mark a shift from one Previous Israeli policy which said the crossing would only open “only for the exit of residents of Egypt from the Gaza Strip”.
‘The path to true Palestinian self-determination’
The White House on Friday announced the 15 members of an all-Palestinian technocratic committee that will oversee the transition of power in Gaza. Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) deputy minister, was appointed commissioner general of the organization, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
In a statement after his appointment, Shaath said the committee “will embrace peace, through which we will seek to secure genuine Palestinian rights and a path to self-determination”.
Senior Hamas leaders have hailed the establishment of the committee as a “step in the right direction” that is “crucial for consolidating the ceasefire”.
However, some Palestinians worry that NCAG’s technocratic approach could derail key political issues in favor of focusing on opportunities outside of economic development and investment, the creation of a future Palestinian state and the end of Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory.
As part of Phase II of the Armistice AgreementThe technocratic committee will work under the full supervision of the so-called “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump.
America’s leaders officially launched The international conflict resolution body – with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership – in Davos on Thursday.
The board was originally envisioned to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, but the draft charter does not limit its role to the Palestinian territories.
Trump has been critical of the United Nations and has previously hinted that it could replace the international body, which was founded in 1945.