Palestinians walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. JEHAD ALSHRAFI / AP
A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza was moving into its second phase, Washington's top negotiator said on Wednesday, January 14, as Palestinian factions agreed on the make-up of a post-war governing committee.
President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on X that phase two of the US leader's 20-point plan would shift the Palestinian territory "from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction."
Under the plan brokered in October, Gaza would be run by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee under the supervision of a so-called "Board of Peace," to be chaired by Trump himself.
Egypt said all the members of the committee had been agreed upon by all Palestinian factions, which swiftly offered their support. Former Palestinian deputy minister Ali Shaath was named to lead the body, according to a joint statement by mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar.
