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Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative party, said a professional administrative committee of about 14 Gaza residents has been formed to manage the enclave’s affairs, describing it as a transitional body rather than a government.
In remarks to Al Jazeera, Barghouti confirmed the accuracy of reports naming Ali Shaath as head of the committee, along with other specialized figures, including Aed Yaghi in the health sector and Abdel Karim Ashour in the agricultural sector. He said each field would be overseen by specialists agreed upon by Palestinians.
He also confirmed that, during Cairo meetings on Wednesday held under Egyptian sponsorship, an agreement was reached to form a professional administrative committee from Gaza to manage its affairs, stressing that Gaza would be administered by its own people without any external interference or guardianship.
Barghouti said the meetings concluded with an agreement to form what he described as a “professional committee,” not a government, comprising qualified Palestinian experts in vital fields such as the economy, energy, health, administration and agriculture.
He explained that the committee had received the approval of all Palestinian parties without exception, which he described as an important step forward.
He explained that the committee will begin work immediately, with the aim of easing the immense humanitarian suffering endured by Gaza’s residents.
He said it will coordinate its work with the executive body emerging from what is known as the “Peace Council,” headed by Nikolai Mladenov, to secure financial resources and oversee disbursements, in preparation for launching a comprehensive reconstruction process across all areas of the Strip, not only Rafah, while prioritizing the rebuilding of infrastructure destroyed by the Israeli occupation.
Barghouti stressed that the committee is not a government but rather a transitional body to administer Gaza’s affairs for a temporary period.
He reiterated his rejection of any attempt to separate Gaza from the West Bank, describing this as an unacceptable Israeli objective.
He said the announcement of the committee’s formation effectively marks entry into the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, something the Israeli government does not want.
Barghouti said there is a consensus that the “international stability force” should be a peacekeeping force to sustain the ceasefire and separate the two sides, not a governing body inside Gaza, and that it would enter gradually into areas where Israeli forces remain ahead of a full withdrawal.
He said meetings next week will focus on implementation plans, after which committee members will return to Gaza to begin their duties, adding that Israel has sought to obstruct the process by preventing or delaying the departure of some members to Cairo.
Barghouti said the Palestinian side fully adhered to the ceasefire, while Israel, through repeated violations, sought to provoke Palestinians into returning to escalation.
He added that moving into the second phase is among the most important ways to rein in the occupation and prevent continued attacks.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar welcomed the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the Gaza Strip, headed by Dr. Ali Abdel Hamid Shaath, terming it an “important development” toward strengthening stability and improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The committee is part of a plan proposed by Trump to administer Gaza after Israel’s war on the territory, which killed more than 71,000 people in two years. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Oct. 10, 2025.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of phase two of the plan to end the war in Gaza, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.
He said the second phase establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the reconstruction of Gaza.
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