Gaza is entering the second phase of the ceasefire plan Trump helped broker, envoy Witkoff says

By MICHELLE L. PRICE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States said Wednesday that it is moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan that involves disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that will administer daily affairs in Gaza under American supervision.

President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X that the ceasefire deal that the Republican president helped broker was entering its second phase following two years of war between Israel and Hamas, including the establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza.

But Witkoff did not offer any details about who would serve on the new transitional Palestinian administration that would govern Gaza. Trump’s White House did not immediately offer any more information, either.

The mediators of the ceasefire deal — Egypt, Turkey and Qatar — welcomed the establishment of the committee and said it would be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.

“This is an important development to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” they said in a joint statement.

The Gaza native served as a deputy minister for transportation with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Shaath, an engineer, is an expert in e...