By Hosni Nedim and Lina Altawell
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Arrangements are underway for members of a technocratic committee tasked with administering the Gaza Strip to travel from the enclave to Egypt to hold their first meeting on Thursday or Friday, a Palestinian source told Anadolu.
The committee is part of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to administer Gaza after Israel’s war on the territory, which has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said committee members have been formally notified of their appointment and will begin work within their respective portfolios once the panel convenes.
Citing four officials and six people familiar with the matter, The New York Times reported late Tuesday that the United States is close to announcing the committee’s formation, with Ali Shaath expected to chair it.
The first meeting is expected to take place in Cairo on Thursday or Friday, the Palestinian source said.
No immediate official comment was issued by the Palestinian Authority, Egypt or the US regarding the meeting.
The committee includes academic, professional and community figures selected for their technical expertise to manage Gaza’s most urgent sectors in response to the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the territory, the source and Palestinian media said.
Israel destroyed about 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure during the war, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at roughly $70 billion.
A first phase of a ceasefire deal took effect Oct. 10, 2025, but Israel has repeatedly violated it, killing 447 Palestinians and wounding 1,246 through Tuesday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
- Committee members
Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian deputy planning minister, is expected to chair the committee, local sources and Palestinian and international media said, citing his background in planning, development and infrastructure.
Omar Shamaly, executive director of the Palestinian Telecommunications Company in Gaza, is expected to oversee the telecommunications portfolio as networks require extensive rebuilding after widespread damage, the sources said.
Abdel Karim Ashour, head of the Agricultural Relief Association and a civil society activist, is expected to handle agriculture as the sector faces severe collapse due to land leveling, destruction and access restrictions imposed by Israel, the sources added.
Health is expected to be overseen by Dr. Aed Yaghi, head of the Medical Relief Association, as Gaza’s health system has largely collapsed under the strain of the Israeli war.
Israel has blocked the entry of agreed quantities of medicine, medical supplies, food and shelter materials, leaving about 2.4 million Palestinians, including roughly 1.5 million displaced people, in dire conditions.
The committee is also expected to include Aed Abu Ramadan, head of Gaza’s Chamber of Commerce, for trade and economy; Jabr Al-Daour, president of Palestine University, for education; Bashir Al-Rais, an engineering consultant, for finance; and Ali Barhoum, executive director of the Joint Services Council in southern Gaza, for water and municipal services, the sources said.
Attorney Hanaa Terzi is expected to oversee social affairs and women’s issues, while Arabi Abu Shaaban is slated for land administration and Mohammed Bseiso for the judiciary, the sources added.
For security, media reports have suggested Mohammed Tawfiq Helles and Mohammed Nesman to oversee police and security affairs during a phase focused on restoring public order and protecting civilians.
- Factional meetings
Under Trump’s plan, the technocratic committee would operate under the oversight of a so-called “Peace Council” led by Trump and expected to include global leaders to be named later, according to The New York Times.
The plan also calls for a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, the disarmament of Hamas, Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
Hamas said Tuesday evening that a senior delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo for talks on completing the implementation of the ceasefire and reopening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
The delegation is also expected to meet with leaders of other Palestinian factions to discuss political and military developments in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Israel has delayed launching the second phase of the ceasefire, linking it to the recovery of the remains of its last captive in Gaza, while Hamas has said locating and retrieving the remains could take time due to the extensive destruction.