Israeli objections forced last-minute changes to a proposed technocrats’ committee meant to administer the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said ahead of talks between Palestinian factions in Cairo starting Wednesday.
A senior Hamas delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Cairo on Saturday for consultations on forming the committee and moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement signed with Israel in October. The talks were set to begin today.
A faction leader participating in the talks told Al Manassa the “major” changes affected both the committee’s chair and members. The source attributed the changes to direct Israeli rejection of some nominees and Israel’s objection to any supervisory or administrative role for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the committee’s work.
The committee is expected to consist of 15 people, the source said.
According to the faction leader, who asked not to be named, PA Health Minister Maged Abu Ramadan was dropped as chair despite Egyptian support after Israel rejected his nomination on the grounds that he is a serving minister in a PA-affiliated government. The source added that Abu Ramadan conditioned taking the role on receiving a green light from PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Last week, a Palestinian government source told Al Manassa that Egypt had pressured Abbas to issue a decision assigning Abu Ramadan to lead the committee because Egypt trusted him and all factions approved him.
Sweeping changes to nominees
During talks held this week, Israel approved Ali Shaath, a former deputy transportation minister under late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, as chair of the committee, said a source in one of the resistance factions. Israel “rejected almost all the names proposed by the PA,” the source added.
Separately, a Hamas leader told Al Manassa there was a preliminary agreement on around nine names for membership, in addition to the chair, and said the Cairo meetings were expected to finalize the lineup.
Only names that did not face objections from the US or Israel are on the list, said the Hamas source. Those named include Ayed Abu Ramadan, head of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abed Alkarim Ashour, head of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, Omar Al-Shamali, manager of the territory’s telecoms company, and Jaber Al-Daour, president of Palestine University.
The list also includes lawyer and rights advocate Hanaa Tarazi (the only woman named so far), Aed Yaghi, director of Gaza’s Medical Relief Society, Yazan Ahmed, an activist from Al-Shati refugee camp, Yahya Hilles from Shujaiya and Mohamed Tamraz, a civil society activist, the source said.
Israel unlikely to withdraw from Gaza
As factions work to form the committee, which is slated to administer Gaza during the reconstruction phase, a member of Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) delegation participating in the Cairo meetings said they doubted Israel would meet its commitment to withdraw to the next agreed line under the ceasefire deal.
The PIJ source, who asked not to be named, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was delaying implementation of the agreement’s obligations, especially the second phase. The source described current efforts as “formal attempts to preserve the appearance of the agreement without its substance,” while key provisions remained stalled, led by opening the Rafah crossing in both directions.
Israel is refusing to open the Rafah land crossing on the Gaza side until it recovers what the source described as the last remaining body held by Hamas. Netanyahu said over a week ago that he had reached understandings with the US administration not to open the crossing until Hamas hands over the body of officer Ran Gvili, which the resistance says it has so far failed to locate.
Israel appeared to be pushing a “formal” phase two while avoiding any commitment to withdraw beyond the “yellow line” where its forces are now positioned, the PIJ source said.
Withdrawal could be postponed until after Israeli elections scheduled for the end of this year, the source added.
The Cairo consultations are taking place alongside moves that would culminate in US President Donald Trump announcing the formation of an “International Board of Peace,” with former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov as executive chair. Mladenov has begun contacts and preparatory meetings, most recently with PA Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh last Thursday.
Since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, the resistance has handed over all 20 remaining living Israeli captives and all but one of the bodies of those killed; the last body still held is that of Ran Gvili. Israeli authorities have released around 2,000 Palestinian detainees, while Israel still refuses to open Rafah in both directions to facilitate travel and aid. The Israeli occupation continues to bombard the enclave, targeting homes and camps.
