Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday the formation of a Gaza Peace Council, a central element of the American plan for the Palestinian territory. Trump stated he would chair the council, which is tasked with supervising a newly formed committee of Palestinian administrators for the enclave.
Supervising a New Administrative Committee
The council’s formation is part of the second phase of the U.S. peace plan for Gaza. This phase involves a 15-member, apolitical committee of technocrats, led by civil engineer and former senior official Ali Shaath. This temporary body is intended to manage Gaza and pilot the initial stage of reconstruction.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized his support for this transitional committee, stating, “These Palestinian leaders are firmly committed to a peaceful future!”
International Composition and Key Mandates
According to reports, the Peace Council will include representatives from several nations, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. Former UN Middle East peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov is expected to lead the council’s field operations.
The U.S. plan outlines several conditions and steps for this phase:
- A comprehensive demilitarization agreement with Hamas, requiring the surrender of all weapons and the dismantling of tunnels.
- The immediate return of all remaining captives’ bodies to Israel.
- The deployment of an international stabilization force to help secure Gaza and train Palestinian police units.
A Daunting Task Amidst Devastation
The administrative committee faces the monumental challenge of governing a territory devastated by two years of war. Gaza’s borders and access points remain under Israeli control, and severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and fuel are daily realities for its population.
The success of this transitional phase is pivotal to the broader goal of reconstruction outlined by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who stated phase two must lead to Gaza’s “reconstruction.”
