Gaza enters phase two of ceasefire: Who will govern, what happens to Hamas, what’s next

Dubai: After more than two years of devastating war, Gaza is moving into a critical and uncertain new chapter.

The United States says the ceasefire plan brokered under President Donald Trump is entering phase two — a stage that goes beyond silencing the guns and aims to dismantle Hamas’ rule, rebuild Gaza from the ground up and hand daily governance to a Palestinian technocratic body under international supervision.

The shift marks the most ambitious attempt yet to reshape Gaza’s future since Hamas seized control of the enclave in 2007. But it also opens a phase riddled with political, security and humanitarian risks that could still derail the plan.

According to US envoy Steve Witkoff, phase two moves Gaza “from ceasefire to demilitarisation, technocratic governance and reconstruction.”

The first phase, launched in October, halted most fighting, enabled a hostage-prisoner exchange, allowed a partial Israeli withdrawal and opened the door to increased humanitarian aid.

End Hamas’ 18-year rule of Gaza

Begin the disarmament of armed groups, starting with Hamas

Establish a Palestinian technocratic committee to run Gaza’s daily affairs

Launch a massive reconstruction effort estimated by the UN to cost more than $50 billion

Witkoff warned that Hamas must meet its obligations under the deal — including returning the final Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili — saying failure to do so would bring “serious consequences.”

Under the plan, Gaza will be administered by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee made up of non-partisan experts. The body will operate under the oversight of a US-led “Board of Peace,” to be chaired by Trump himself and led on the ground by former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov.

Mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar announced that the committee will be headed by Ali Shaath, a Gaza-born civil engineer and former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian factions — including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and President Mahmud Abbas’ Fatah movement — have all publicly backed the committee, an unusual moment of consensus in deeply divided Palestinian politics.

Ali Shaath, 67, is a low-profile technocrat rather than a political heavyweight.

Born in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza in 1958, he studied engineering in Cairo and later served in senior roles within the Palestinian Authority, including as deputy minister of planning and international cooperation and undersecretary at the transport ministry.

In recent interviews, Shaath has been blunt about the scale of destruction Gaza faces.

“We are not talking about reconstruction, but construction anew,” he said, noting that nearly all of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have been displaced at least once during the war.

He outlined priorities including emergency shelter, water purification, well rehabilitation and restoring basic services such as hospitals and schools. He even floated controversial ideas such as pushing rubble into the Mediterranean to reclaim land.

Shaath has stressed that his body will not act as a security force.

“The commission is not an army,” he said. “It is brains more than weapons.”

Hamas has said it does not seek a role in governing Gaza and would limit itself to monitoring the transition. It has also welcomed the formation of the technocratic committee.

But the hardest question remains unresolved: Disarmament.

Witkoff said phase two aims for the “full demilitarisation of Gaza,” including the disarmament of all unauthorised armed personnel. Hamas has long resisted giving up its weapons, and no clear mechanism has been outlined for enforcing this without sparking renewed conflict.

Israel, meanwhile, has said it will not fully move forward with phase two until the remains of Ran Gvili — the last Israeli hostage — are returned.

Even supporters of the plan acknowledge daunting obstacles:

Security: Who enforces disarmament, and how, without reigniting war?

Governance: How quickly can a new body replace Hamas’ control after nearly two decades?

Funding: With reconstruction costs topping $50 billion, donor commitments remain scarce.

Trust: Israelis, Palestinians and regional players remain deeply sceptical after repeated past failures.

The technocratic committee is due to meet for the first time in Cairo, with members travelling out of Gaza via the Rafah crossing — a symbolic first step in what could be a long, fragile transition.

If phase two succeeds, it could fundamentally reshape Gaza’s political and security landscape for the first time in a generation.

If it fails, Gaza risks slipping back into chaos — or worse, a renewed war.

For now, the guns are mostly silent. What comes next will determine whether that silence holds — and whether Gaza can finally begin to rebuild a future beyond war.

Phase two shifts the focus from stopping the fighting to reshaping Gaza’s future — moving toward demilitarisation, governance reform and long-term recovery.

A 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, led by engineer Ali Shaath, will take over day-to-day administration, ending Hamas’ 18-year rule of Gaza.

Disarmament of armed groups

The plan calls for the demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other unauthorised fighters — the most sensitive and uncertain element.