On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced the launch of the second phase of the Gaza agreement. Notably, Witkoff avoided any reference to the Rafah border crossing, even as Israeli media confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is insisting the crossing remain closed until the final Israeli body is recovered.
“Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” stated Witkoff on X late Wednesday.
Despite Rafah’s central role in civilian movement and humanitarian access, Witkoff remained silent on the fate of the crossing. He detailed that the second phase would establish “a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel.”
Witkoff added that the United States “expects Hamas to fully comply with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage,” warning that failure to do so would carry “serious consequences.”
In a joint statement, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye welcomed the announcement, describing the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer Gaza as a step toward stability and the strengthening of humanitarian efforts.
The mediators emphasized the need to implement the agreement’s provisions as outlined in the Trump plan to consolidate the truce, prevent a return to war, and move toward a lasting peace.
Hamas did not issue an official statement regarding Witkoff’s announcement. However, senior Hamas official Taher Al-Nunu told Al Jazeera that the movement welcomes the administrative committee as a first step toward ending the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
He noted that Hamas supports the mediators’ efforts and the committee’s work, but offered no further details on disarmament, the reopening of Rafah, or the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces beyond the so-called “Yellow Line.”
A source within the Palestinian technocratic committee told Al Manassa, speaking on condition of anonymity, that members are scheduled to meet on Thursday at the US Embassy in Cairo.
The committee’s chair, Dr. Ali Shaath, and several members arrived in Cairo at dawn, while Gaza-based members were expected to arrive later after Israeli authorities granted them passage. The source declined to disclose the meeting’s agenda.
Palestinian sources previously told Al Manassa that significant changes were made to the committee’s roster, including the chairmanship, at the eleventh hour. The changes were driven primarily by an Israeli veto of certain nominees, according to the sources.
Tel Aviv had also objected to any supervisory or administrative role for the Palestinian Authority, explained the informed sources. The 15-member committee was later formally announced by mediators with Dr. Ali Shaath at the helm.
On the Israeli side, Netanyahu’s office stated Wednesday on X that the Prime Minister had spoken with the parents of the final Israeli captive, stressing that recovering the body remains a top priority. The office maintained that the technocratic committee “will not affect ongoing efforts to return the body,” insisting that information provided to mediators must translate into concrete action on the ground. It called on Hamas to meet the agreement’s terms without deviation.
While Witkoff’s announcement sidestepped the reopening of the Rafah crossing—a step originally slated for the first phase—Israeli journalist Yoav Zitun wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday that Netanyahu’s government remains intractable about the closure until the final body is returned.
Zitun criticized the approval of phase two and the committee’s formation, describing the body as “a ruler without an army, dependent on Hamas elements,” which he argued would entrench Hamas’s continued security control.
He claimed Hamas has reconstituted security forces, particularly in central Gaza, and that some brigades retain their combat capabilities. Zitun reported that Netanyahu’s government would launch a military assault, in coordination with the US, if the movement does not surrender its weapons and dismantle itself during this phase.
Regarding the second Israeli withdrawal—intended to see forces pull back beyond the so-called “Yellow Line”—Israel’s Kan radio reported that occupation forces will remain deployed along the line. The broadcaster linked any further withdrawal directly to the disarmament of Hamas scheduled for phase two.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian resistance groups have handed over 47 Israeli captives, with one body remaining, while Israeli authorities have released approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees. However, Israel continues to block Rafah crossing in both directions and maintains airstrikes across the Strip, targeting homes and displacement camps.
