The technical agency will be operated under the direction of President Trump’s Peace Commission, which is made up of pro-Israel figures.
The Palestinian Commission, tasked with overseeing the future administration of Gaza as part of the U.S.-backed ceasefire plan, has released a “mission statement” outlining key priorities and goals.
Ali Shas, general chairman of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NGAC), said the technical agency aims to restore core services and foster a society “rooted in peace.”
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“Under the guidance of the Peace Commission, chaired by (U.S.) President Donald J. Trump, and with the support and support of the High Representative of Gaza, our mission is to rebuild the Gaza Strip not only infrastructurally but also spiritually,” Shas said in a statement.
NGAC was established as part of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza and was authorized under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. The White House said it would work on day-to-day reconstruction and stabilization of the enclave “while laying the foundations for long-term, self-reliant governance.”
Under President Trump’s plan, Gaza reconstruction would be broadly overseen by a Peace Commission and more closely guided by a Gaza Executive Committee.
NGAC faces major challenges. The Gaza Strip has been physically destroyed after more than two years of genocidal war by Israel, and there is widespread skepticism among Palestinians about the extent to which they will be granted autonomy.
These concerns are exacerbated so far by the presence of staunch supporters of Israel on the peace committee and the Gaza Executive Committee, but the lack of Palestinian representation.
Shas, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) deputy minister, said in a statement that the agency will focus on establishing security control in the Strip, more than half of which remains under direct Israeli control, and restoring basic services destroyed throughout the war.
“We are committed to establishing security and restoring essential services that form the basis of human dignity, such as electricity, water, health care and education, and fostering societies rooted in peace, democracy and justice,” he said.
“NCAG, which operates with the highest standards of integrity and transparency, builds a productive economy that can turn unemployment into opportunity for all.”
Contrary to an existing ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israel maintains strict restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza, which United Nations agencies and humanitarian groups say is necessary to provide services to the Palestinians.
Hundreds of Palestinians were also killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip during this period, bringing the death toll since October 7, 2023 to 71,548.
Although the establishment of the peace commission was announced as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, President Trump’s letter inviting foreign leaders to join the peace commission suggests that the US president may see it as a model for bypassing traditional international forums such as the United Nations.
In mid-December, Israel announced that it would ban more than 30 international aid organizations from operating in Gaza.
Some Palestinians also worry that NGAC’s technocratic approach will avoid key political issues such as establishing a future Palestinian state and ending Israel’s decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories, and instead focus on economic development and outside investment opportunities.
Shas said in a statement that the committee “seeks to embrace peace and through it secure a path to true Palestinian rights and self-determination.”
