The White House has released the names of some of the leaders who will be tasked with oversight next steps in Gaza The Palestinian committee that will govern the territory under US supervision met for the first time in Cairo on Friday.
The head of the commission, Ali Shaath, a Gaza engineer and former Palestinian Authority official, pledged to begin work quickly to improve conditions. He expects reconstruction and recovery to take about three years and plans to focus first on immediate needs, including shelter.
“The Palestinian people have been waiting for this commission, its creation and the work to rescue them,” Shaath said after the meeting in an interview with Egypt’s Al-Qahera News.
Underneath President Trump’s planShaath’s technocratic commission will run day-to-day affairs in Gaza under the supervision of a Trump-led “Peace Council,” whose members have yet to be named.
The White House said an executive committee will work to implement the Peace Commission’s vision.
Members of the executive committee, announced Friday, include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, Mr. Trump’s deputy national security adviser.
Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and UN Middle East envoy, will serve as the executive committee representative overseeing day-to-day affairs.
Mr Trump supports efforts to govern Gaza after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Israeli troops withdrew from parts of Gaza after the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, and thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to what remains of their homes.
Kushner and Witkoff they were key negotiators Helping Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas reach a cease-fire agreement, the premise of which was based on the White House’s 20-point plan. In an interview on “60 Minutes” in October, Kushner said the success or failure of the peace plan will depend on whether Israel and the international partners involved can create a “viable alternative” to Hamas’ violent tactics.
“If they succeed, Hamas will be defeated, and Gaza will not be a threat to Israel in the future,” Kushner told “60 Minutes.”
Earlier this week, Witkoff announced that the US would enter the second phase of the White House’s Gaza peace plan. In a post To X, Witkoff said this included the return of the remains of the last hostage still killed by Hamas in Gaza.
“Failure to do so will have serious consequences,” Witkoff wrote.
Now, there will be some big challenges ahead, including the deployment of an international security force to oversee the ceasefire agreement and the difficult process of disarming Hamas.
The White House also announced the members of another committee that will work with Mladenov, the technocratic committee and international stabilization forces, the “Gaza Executive Committee.”
Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan and Mladenov will also sit on that board. Other members include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi; Hassan Rashad, director of Egypt’s General Intelligence Agency; Emirati Minister Reem Al-Hashimy; Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay and Sigrid Kaag, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Middle East expert.