The head of Gaza’s newly appointed administrative committee, Ali Shaath, told Al Manassa Thursday that the body will begin operating in parts of the enclave not under Israeli military occupation, the first step in implementing the second phase of the October ceasefire agreement.
The committee, comprised of technocrats and community figures, is expected to hold its first meeting in Cairo within hours. Shaath said the gathering will outline the committee’s responsibilities and operational frameworks in coordination with the International Peace Council, the body overseeing Gaza’s post-war transition.
“Our first phase focuses on the 46% of Gaza beyond Israeli control,” Shaath said, referring to the territory outside the so-called “yellow line,” a boundary marking zones of current Israeli military presence. “Our top priorities are rapid humanitarian relief and deploying mobile housing units as an emergency solution,” Shaath added.
Shaath stressed that the committee will steer clear of political negotiations with Israel, which he said remain under the jurisdiction of the Peace Council. He also noted that the future Palestinian police force will be tasked solely with maintaining internal security in its assigned zones.
The committee’s transitional mandate is expected to last three years, during which it will lead Gaza’s rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
Shaath arrived in Cairo from Ramallah after receiving rare travel clearance from Israeli authorities. He was joined by other technocrats appointed to the transitional committee.
On Saturday, a senior Hamas delegation—led by Khalil Al-Hayya and including Khaled Meshaal, Hussam Badran, and Zaher Jabarin—arrived in Cairo for consultations on the committee’s formation and the upcoming phase of the ceasefire plan.
Tribal representation and structure
Akef Al-Masri, commissioner of the Supreme Council for Tribal Affairs, confirmed to Al Manassa that tribal leader Hussein Al-Mughni (Abu Salman) had been named to the committee, whose full composition has not yet been publicly released.
“This move helps secure social legitimacy for the committee,” Masri said, adding that tribal input is essential to managing Gaza’s daily life.
According to Al Manassa sources, current committee members include: Omar Shamali (telecommunications), Abdul Karim Ashour (agriculture), Aed Yaghi (health), Ayed Abu Ramadan (trade and economy), Jabr Al-Daour (education), Bashir Al-Rais (finance), Ali Barhoum (water and municipalities), Hanaa Tarazi (social affairs and women’s affairs), Osama Al-Saadawi (land and housing), Adnan Abu Warda (judiciary), Hussein Al-Mughni (tribal affairs), and Sami Nasman (interior and security).
Five regional offices are planned across the Gaza Strip. The first session in Cairo will be followed by a meeting with Nikolay Mladenov, head of the Board of Peace’s executive bureau.
Hamas rejects disarmament pressure
A senior Hamas official, part of the delegation in Cairo, rejected foreign media reports claiming the group had secretly agreed to disarm resistance fighters in Gaza.
“There are no secrets in this matter. We were direct with mediators,” the official told Al Manassa on condition of anonymity. “Hamas supports a fair approach that protects the legitimate right to resist as long as the occupation persists.”
The official added that several terms had been floated during talks with intermediaries—including “weapon withdrawal,” “freezing,” and “storage.” These proposals, he said, were backed by mediators and recently presented to Hamas with signals that the US was open to discussing them, so long as the weapons were not used and remained under guarantees. But none of the proposals amounted to full disarmament.
Previously, Reuters had cited unnamed US officials as expressing interest in talks with Hamas over a phased disarmament plan and possible amnesty process. Axios reported that Hamas was open to gradual steps under the US proposal, including dismantling military infrastructure and storing heavy weapons and rockets in secure locations to prevent their use against Israel.
A Palestinian faction leader at the Cairo talks said Egypt has presented its own vision for the weapons file—one reportedly aligned with the views of various Palestinian groups. He declined to share further details.
Rafah crossing blocked, airstrikes continue
Since the Oct. 10 ceasefire took effect, Palestinian resistance factions have released 47 Israeli captives and handed over one body. In exchange, Israeli authorities freed approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
Despite this, Israeli forces continue to deny two-way passage through the Rafah crossing, blocking aid and movement of civilians. Meanwhile, the Israeli military persists in carrying out airstrikes across Gaza, hitting residential homes and refugee camps.
