Axios: Formation of a Technocrat Committee to Govern Gaza in Final Stages

SadaNews - Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to announce the transition of the peace process in Gaza to its second phase, revealing the new governance structure in the sector before December 25.

The site conveyed yesterday evening, Thursday, from two U.S. officials stating that "the formation of the international force and the new governance structure for Gaza is in its final stages," expressing hope that it will be revealed "within two to three weeks.".

A Western source directly involved in the process told Axios that "things are moving forward, and the goal is to announce them before the Christmas holidays.".

According to sources, U.S. President is expected to hold a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the end of December to discuss these steps.

The second phase of the agreement includes an additional Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, deploying "international stabilization forces" in the region, and initiating the new governance structure that includes a "Peace Council" led by Trump. The UN Security Council approved both the international stabilization force and the "Peace Council" last month.

Reports indicate that the key element in the first phase of the plan – which involves the release of all hostages by Hamas and the return of the remains of dead Israeli prisoners – is "close to completion," as one of the remains is still missing, and an Israeli delegation met Thursday with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to discuss how to recover it, according to Axios.

According to U.S. officials, the "Peace Council" will include "about ten leaders from Western and Arab countries" led by Trump at the top of the new governance structure in Gaza, beneath which will be an international executive council comprising former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump advisors Jared Kushner and Steve Wittekov, as well as senior officials from the countries represented in the "Peace Council.".

Under the supervision of this executive council, a transitional "Palestinian Government" will be formed consisting of 12 to 15 Palestinian technocrats, experienced in management and the economic sector, provided they have no ties to "Hamas" or "Fatah" or any other Palestinian factions. Sources indicate that Washington is in the "final stages" of consultations with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and countries in the region regarding the formation of this government.

Axios quoted an informed source on the vetting process as saying that the initial selection included 25 names, with about half of them being excluded, adding that "some candidates currently live in Gaza, while others previously lived in the sector and will return to serve in the new government.".

In parallel, the site reported that countries such as Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Turkey have expressed their willingness, in principle, to send troops to participate in the "international stabilization forces" in Gaza, while representatives from the United States, Qatar, and Turkey are engaging in dialogues with Hamas regarding disarmament and reducing the movement's control over the sector. According to the proposal, Hamas will first begin relinquishing heavy weapons, then proceed to discard light weapons.

The proposed international force is expected to be deployed in the areas currently controlled by the Israeli army in Gaza. The two U.S. officials stated that this would allow for an additional Israeli withdrawal from these areas.

The Western source noted that Egypt and Qatar are "optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement, while Netanyahu is taking a more skeptical stance," but he is "committed to giving the process a chance to succeed," as he put it.

The source added: "The equation will be as follows: the Israeli army withdraws from Gaza in exchange for Hamas exiting power.".

The Western source concluded by saying: "The most important question is: Will Hamas agree to disarm and allow the new government to take over? They cannot be in power directly or indirectly through arms," pointing out that what he described as "the moment of truth will come in the coming weeks.".