Witkoff Announces Phase II of Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, Shifts Focus to Demilitarization and Governance

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S. Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday the launch of Phase II of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, marking a transition from a fragile ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and large-scale reconstruction of the war-ravaged enclave.

“Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza — the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) — and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel,” Witkoff said in a statement posted on X.

Witkoff warned that the United States expects Hamas to fully comply with its obligations under the agreement, including the immediate return of the final deceased Israeli hostage. Failure to do so, he said, would result in “serious consequences.”

According to U.S. officials, the move comes as the ceasefire brokered last October continues to hold and Hamas has returned all living hostages and all but one deceased captive. Phase I of the plan, Witkoff said, delivered historic humanitarian aid into Gaza while maintaining the ceasefire and securing the return of hostages. He thanked Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their mediation efforts, calling them indispensable to the progress achieved so far.

Under Phase II, Washington is expected to announce a list of 15 Palestinian technocrats who will form the NCAG, a temporary governing body tasked with overseeing daily civilian life in Gaza, including sanitation, utilities, education, energy, and transportation. The committee will be chaired by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister from Gaza who currently resides in Judea and Samaria, otherwise known as the West Bank.

Former UN Middle East peace envoy and Bulgarian foreign minister Nickolay Mladenov is set to be named high representative for the Trump-chaired Board of Peace, according to U.S. officials. Mladenov will serve as the conduit between the Palestinian technocrats and the Board of Peace, which will provide high-level strategic direction for Gaza’s postwar transition. The first meeting of the NCAG is expected to take place in Cairo on Thursday under Mladenov’s supervision.

The Board of Peace, expected to include roughly a dozen members, will consist of what Trump described as “the most important leaders of the most important nations,” though the administration has not yet publicly named its members.

The plan envisions not only rebuilding Gaza’s devastated infrastructure but ultimately transforming the territory into a secure, economically vibrant region. Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were closely involved in crafting the proposal.

However, the next phase faces significant challenges. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, has not detailed how it intends to disarm, a key requirement for reconstruction and the establishment of a stable governing authority outside its control. While Hamas said Sunday it would dissolve its existing government once the technocratic committee is in place, skepticism remains among regional and U.S. officials.

Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro cautioned that Hamas could emerge weakened but still influential. He warned that such an outcome would risk setting the stage for another round of conflict.

The Israeli government has said Phase II cannot fully advance until the body of Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, is returned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also reiterated Israel’s opposition to the Palestinian Authority assuming control of Gaza and to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

U.S. officials confirmed that Indonesia and Morocco have committed to contributing troops to a planned International Stabilization Force (ISF) to help maintain order in Gaza, though details on the force’s size and mandate have not yet been released. Several prospective contributors have expressed reluctance to deploy troops tasked with forcibly disarming Hamas, complicating the force’s formation.

Despite these obstacles, the Trump administration says it expects Hamas to eventually lose power and cede control, allowing a new governing structure to take root in Gaza. Whether Phase II can achieve that goal remains uncertain as the plan moves from ceasefire implementation to the far more complex challenges of disarmament and governance.

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