By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is backing a newly appointed “Palestinian Technocratic Government” to govern Gaza during a transitional period, as Washington moves forward with a second phase of a ceasefire that took effect in October but remains fragile.
“I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the Board’s High Representative, to govern Gaza during its transition,” Trump said in a post on social media.
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed in October to Trump’s plan, which calls for the Palestinian technocratic body to operate under the oversight of an international “Board of Peace.” The board is intended to supervise Gaza’s governance during the transition period.
In a separate post, Trump said the Board of Peace has already been formed and that its members would be announced soon. Trump himself is serving as chair of the board.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated violations. Since the truce began in October, more than 440 Palestinians — including over 100 children — and three Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed.
The truce has also been strained by several unresolved issues, including the failure to recover the remains of a final Israeli hostage, delays by Israel in reopening Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt, and Hamas’ continued refusal to disarm.
As the second phase of the ceasefire moves forward, the United States and its mediating partners face major challenges, including disarming Hamas, securing further Israeli troop withdrawals tied to that disarmament and deploying an international peacekeeping force.
According to a joint statement from mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, the Palestinian technocratic body will consist of 15 members and will be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority who previously oversaw the development of industrial zones.
“These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a PEACEFUL future,” Trump said in his post. However, many experts have criticized the arrangement, arguing that Trump’s role as chair of the board overseeing Gaza’s governance resembles a colonial-style structure.
Trump also said Egypt, Qatar and Turkey would help secure what he described as a “comprehensive demilitarization agreement” with Hamas.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since late 2023 has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, triggered a severe hunger crisis and displaced nearly the entire population of the territory. Multiple human rights experts, scholars and a United Nations inquiry have described the campaign as amounting to genocide. Israel has rejected that characterization, saying it acted in self-defense after Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages during the group’s 2023 attack.
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