Despite ongoing Israeli bombardment, US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Saturday preparations for the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal, following closed-door talks in Miami attended by officials from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Witkoff detailed the outcomes of Friday’s meeting on X, which was led by Washington and convened regional allies. The talks centered on plans to impose a new governing authority in Gaza under what was termed a “unified Gazan authority”—an entity aimed at administering the enclave, ostensibly to protect civilians and maintain order.
The discussions included proposals for “regional integration,” including trade facilitation, infrastructure projects, and energy and water cooperation, Witkoff added, framed as part of Gaza’s so-called recovery and “long-term prosperity.”
The meeting took place following earlier talks in Cairo involving the heads of Turkish and Egyptian intelligence and the Qatari prime minister, according to Fox News.
Participants reviewed next steps in rolling out the US-drafted “comprehensive peace plan” for Gaza, his statement read, emphasizing “sequencing, coordination and effective monitoring” in partnership with local institutions and international actors.
The Miami meeting took place as Israeli forces continue to strike Gaza, despite the so-called ceasefire remaining technically in effect.
Witkoff noted progress in phase one, citing humanitarian aid deliveries and a limited Israeli troop withdrawal. He further stated that all living Israeli captives have been released, along with the remains of most who died in custody. Only one body remains withheld.
On Friday, five Palestinians, most of them children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood. Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed the deaths. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Department stated that several injured survivors were taken to local hospitals.
Hamas movement condemned the attack as a “barbaric crime” and a fresh violation of the ceasefire agreement.
According to the Ministry of Health, Israel has killed 400 Palestinians since the so-called ceasefire was announced in October.
Phase two of the US proposal includes deploying an international stabilization force and installing a foreign-led administrative body in Gaza. It also calls for the disarmament of the Hamas resistance movement, and a further Israeli military pullback beyond the so-called “yellow line,” before the international force assumes control.
On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that a new administrative framework would soon be established. This would include an international council and a group of Palestinian technocrats, followed by the deployment of foreign troops.
At a press conference, Rubio described the situation in Gaza as “not sustainable,” claiming that while Israel continues bombing what they deem as Hamas targets, the resistance group had reasserted its authority since the October agreement brokered by the Trump administration.
Two unnamed US officials told Reuters that international troops could be deployed as early as next month, following a UN Security Council vote in November that authorized the mission.
Last week, Israeli drones fired three missiles at a civilian car on Al-Rasheed Street in western Gaza City, killing Raed Saad, a senior commander in Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. The US reportedly viewed the killing as a breach of the ceasefire and issued a private diplomatic talking-to to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Axios reports.
