The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have welcomed the announcement of the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip (NCAG) on 14 January 2026, as a temporary transitional body established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2803, within the framework of the second phase of the Comprehensive Peace Plan and in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.
US President Donald Trump has announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
In a joint statement, the Muslim FMs emphasized the importance of the National Committee commencing its duties in managing the day-to-day affairs of the people of Gaza, while preserving the institutional and territorial link between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, ensuring the unity of Gaza, and rejecting any attempts to divide it.
The Ministers expressed their full support for the announcement of the commencement of the second phase of U.S President Trump’s plan, expressed their appreciation for the leadership and efforts exerted by President Trump and his commitment to ending the war in the Gaza Strip, ensuring the withdrawal of the Israeli army, preventing the annexation of the occupied West Bank, and advancing peace in the region.
In this context, the ministers stressed the need to consolidate the ceasefire, halt any violations, and ensure the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. They further called for the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts throughout Gaza, and for paving the way for the return of the Palestinian Authority to assume its responsibilities there, in preparation for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in accordance with UN resolutions , the Arab Peace Initiative, and the two-State solution, to end the occupation of all Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank and to realize an independent Palestinian State on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Trump announces Gaza 'board of peace'
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
"It is my Great Honour to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that the members of the body will be announced "shortly."
"I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place," Trump said.
The board's creation comes shortly after the announcement of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, charged with managing the day-to-day governance of post-war Gaza.
The committee will work under the supervision of the board of peace, which Trump said Thursday he will lead as its chair.
The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.
"The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee," Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday.
The US-backed Gaza peace plan first came into force on October 10, facilitating the return of all the hostages held by Hamas and an end to the fighting between the Palestinian militant group and Israel in the besieged territory.
The plan's second phase is now underway, though clouded by ongoing allegations of aid shortages and violence.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has said Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire ostensibly took effect.
For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel's full military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip -- a step included in the plan's framework but for which no detailed timetable has been announced.
Hamas, meanwhile, has refused to publicly commit to a full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington expects Hamas to "comply fully with its obligations."
Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to rebuild its leadership, which has been decimated by Israeli killings during the war in Gaza.
That vote is expected "in the first months of 2026," a Hamas leader told AFP Monday.
Trump shared Witkoff's post Thursday, adding "These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a PEACEFUL future!" in reference to the transitional government he selects.
"With the support of Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, we will secure a COMPREHENSIVE Demilitarization Agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of ALL weapons, and the dismantling of EVERY tunnel," Trump said.
Unresolved issues
A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza has entered its second phase despite unresolved disputes between Israel and Hamas over alleged ceasefire violations and issues unaddressed in the first stage.
The most contentious questions remain Hamas's refusal to publicly commit to full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel, and Israel's lack of clarity over whether it will fully withdraw its forces from Gaza.
The creation of a Palestinian technocratic committee, announced on Wednesday, is intended to manage day-to-day governance in post-war Gaza, but it leaves unresolved broader political and security questions.
Below is a breakdown of developments from phase one to the newly launched second stage.
- Gains and gaps in phase one -
The first phase of the plan, part of a 20-point proposal unveiled by US President Donald Trump, began on October 10 and aimed primarily to stop the fighting in the Gaza Strip, allow in aid and secure the return of all remaining living and deceased hostages held by Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups.
All hostages have since been returned, except for the remains of one Israeli, Ran Gvili.
Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the handover of Gvili's body, while Hamas has said widespread destruction in Gaza made locating the remains difficult.
Gvili's family had urged mediators to delay the transition to phase two.
"Moving on breaks my heart. Have we given up? Ran did not give up on anyone," his sister, Shira Gvili, said after mediators announced the move.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said efforts to recover Gvili's remains would continue but has not publicly commented on the launch of phase two.
Hamas has accused Israel of repeated ceasefire violations, including air strikes, firing on civilians and advancing the so-called "Yellow Line," an informal boundary separating areas under Israeli military control from those under Hamas authority.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli forces had killed 451 people since the ceasefire took effect.
Israel's military said it had targeted suspected militants who crossed into restricted zones near the Yellow Line, adding that three Israeli soldiers were also killed by militants during the same period.
Aid agencies say Israel has not allowed the volume of humanitarian assistance envisaged under phase one, a claim Israel rejects.
Gaza, whose borders and access points remain under Israeli control, continues to face severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel.
Israel and the United Nations have repeatedly disputed figures on the number of aid trucks permitted to enter the Palestinian territory.
- Disarmament, governance in phase two -
Under the second phase, Gaza is to be administered by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee operating under the supervision of a so-called "Board of Peace," to be chaired by Trump.
"The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee," Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday.
Trump on Thursday announced the board of peace had been formed and its members would be announced "shortly".
Mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar said Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, had been appointed to lead the committee.
Later on Thursday, Egyptian state television reported that all members of the committee had "arrived in Egypt and begun their meetings in preparation for entering the territory".
Al-Qahera News, which is close to Egypt’s state intelligence services, said the members' arrival followed US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's announcement on Wednesday "of the start of the second phase and what was agreed upon at the meeting of Palestinian factions in Cairo yesterday".
Shaath, in a recent interview, said the committee would rely on "brains rather than weapons" and would not coordinate with armed groups.
On Wednesday, Witkoff said phase two aims for the "full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza," including the disarmament of all unauthorised armed factions.
Witkoff said Washington expected Hamas to fulfil its remaining obligations, including the return of Gvili's body, warning that failure to do so would bring "serious consequences".
The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.
For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel's full military withdrawal from Gaza — a step included in the framework but for which no detailed timetable has been announced.
With fundamental disagreements persisting over disarmament, withdrawal and governance, diplomats say the success of phase two will depend on sustained pressure from mediators and whether both sides are willing — or able — to move beyond long-standing red lines.–Agencies