“Gaza Strip to be demilitarized and reconstructed.” Second phase of the truce

We are moving to the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, announced Steve Witkoff, adviser to US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday. In the second stage, an independent Palestinian self-government is to take over power from Hamas. The Gaza Strip is to be demilitarized and reconstructed.

“The second phase involves the creation of an interim technical administration composed of Palestinians – National Committee for the Management of the Gaza Strip (NCAG) – and the beginning of the full disarmament and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” Witkoff wrote on the X platform.

He added that he expected Hamas to fully comply with the ceasefire agreements and warned that it would otherwise face “serious consequences.”

The truce in the nearly two-year-long war has been in force since October 10, 2025. Both Israel and Hamas have accepted Trump's 20-point peace plan. The conclusion of the agreement was perceived as a personal success for the American president. The American government insisted on moving to the second stage of the ceasefire as quickly as possible.

As part of the first phase, Israeli troops withdrew from parts of the Gaza Strip, Israel also allowed more humanitarian aid, and Hamas released the last living hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

However, both sides accuse each other of breaking the agreement. The Israeli army still controls more than half of the Gaza Strip and launches attacks almost dailyemphasizing that they are aimed at terrorists. According to the Hamas-controlled administration, 449 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelati announced on Wednesday that the parties involved had agreed in Cairo on the composition of the 15-member Palestinian committee that will govern the Gaza Strip.

Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority participated in the talks and supported the new committee. According to the provisions of the truce, the new government will not include members of Hamas, which has agreed to give up power.

However, representatives of this movement reject putting down their weapons, which is also one of the elements of Trump's plan.

The new government of the Gaza Strip is expected to soon take over responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Palestinian territory. The committee is to be headed by former deputy minister of transport of the Palestinian Authority, Ali Shaas, sources told Reuters.

Palestinian self-government is to be supervised by the international Peace Council. The American president's plan states that Trump himself will be its leader. It had already been announced that Bulgarian diplomat Nikolai Mladenov would be the representative of the Peace Council on site. However, Witkoff did not mention this body in Wednesday's statement.

The second stage of the truce also includes, among others: introduction of international stabilization forces into the Gaza Strip. However, the rules for their operation and composition have not yet been established. (PAP)

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