President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced on Wednesday the launch of phase two of the Gaza plan, which includes the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.
Witkoff said the U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. He warned that failure to meet these obligations would carry “serious consequences.”
The phase two move follows the first stage of the plan, which included a ceasefire and partial hostage release, though it faced delays and continued tensions in the region.
Under the plan, a 14-member Palestinian committee will temporarily govern Gaza. The body will be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, and will include figures from the private sector, NGOs and security officials. Hamas will not be represented.
The committee was approved by former U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to represent the international “Board of Peace” overseeing the transitional governance.
Egyptian officials confirmed the committee, emphasising that Gaza should remain linked with the West Bank under a single legal and institutional framework.
The first phase of the plan, which included a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, faced setbacks including Israeli airstrikes, Hamas’s refusal to disarm, and delays in reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Despite these issues, Trump’s envoy is pressing ahead with phase two.
Hamas and Fatah leaders are meeting in Cairo to discuss the next steps, including the group’s disarmament. Members of the new technocratic committee were scheduled to meet Mladenov in Cairo on Wednesday, with Hamas and Fatah reportedly endorsing the selection.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank expressed support for the plan, saying Gaza institutions should remain aligned with the West Bank and uphold “one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon.”
Officials also said the plan will include the deployment of international peacekeeping forces, though details remain under negotiation.
And, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to make a visit to Moscow on 21–22 January, TASS said on Thursday (15 January), referencing the Palestinian embassy.
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One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
An explosion and fire have been reported at a major underground gas pipeline in Russia’s Penza region on 13 October, according to UA News, as cited by Azerbaijan’s APA news agency. The reports have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
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