Hamas affirmed the Trump administration’s announcement that the Gaza peace agreement has moved into its second phase, signaling positive momentum for Washington’s efforts to stabilize the Middle East.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem called the advancement an “important positive development.” The terrorist group stands “fully prepared to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip” to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, according to Qassem. NCAG is the new transitional committee that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Wednesday has been tasked with ensuring Hamas disarms and Israel withdraws from Gaza, along with other elements of phase two.
Senior Hamas official Taher al Nunu also welcomed NCAG’s establishment, saying, “We will facilitate all efforts for it to take over its responsibilities in all ministries, all different administrations and all matters related to public affairs without exception.”
“All governmental and official functions will be transferred to the committee, including the Ministry of Interior with all its components, and certainly security is part of these tasks,” he pledged, in comments to the Washington Post.
The United States is hopeful that the 20-point peace plan, announced by President Donald Trump in October 2025, has a good chance of being fully implemented, despite widespread Israeli skepticism that Hamas will uphold its commitment to disarmament. Israeli unease has deepened as Hamas remains in violation of phase one of the ceasefire deal, with the remains of one hostage, Ran Gvili, still being held in Gaza.
The U.S. has sought to incentivize Hamas’s disarmament by offering amnesty to members who surrender their weapons. And a senior U.S. official contended Wednesday evening that the pro-democracy protests in Iran, which is one of Hamas’s primary supporters, will make it harder for Tehran to provide support to the terrorist organization, potentially helping the implementation of the second phase.
“Hamas are sending positive signals [on demilitarization]. They are depleted and lost many of their people. But this needs to be real and not fake,” the U.S. official said. “Hamas is indicating that it will happen. We believe it can be achieved.”
Qassem claimed Wednesday that “Hamas is ready to engage in internal Palestinian approaches to discuss the issue of the resistance weapons,” during a live video stream on his Telegram channel.
The 15-member NCAG will be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority. A full list of participating countries that will sit on the committee will be named by Saturday, and has been agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, according to the Washington Post. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair could be among international leaders sitting on the board, according to Politico. Palestinian factions, alongside Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, who have been key Arab mediators in the U.S.-led process to secure lasting peace in Gaza and rebuild the region, have also negotiated the membership process.
The committee is expected to convene in Cairo within days and will oversee health, education, justice, security coordination, and public administration in Gaza.
“This will pave the way for deploying this committee to the Gaza Strip to assume responsibility for managing daily life and providing basic services to the steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters in Cairo.
Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) January 14, 2026
Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic…
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The previously announced Board of Peace, an international leadership body composed of 12 members and governed by Trump, will work in tandem with NCAG to advance the peace agreement. U.S. officials announced this week that former United Nations envoy to the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, will serve as the board’s director general. Invitations to heads of state across the world “were sent out today to a lot of countries,” officials said Wednesday evening, although the board’s membership is not expected to be announced until next week at the earliest.
Trump is set to chair the first meeting of the Board of Peace next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
