January 18, 2026
The United States announced: "We are moving to a new phase in Gaza"
תמונה: chatgpt
On Wednesday, the United States announced that phase B of Trump's plan for Gaza has begun.
Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the goal is to begin the reconstruction of Gaza.
Additional goals are to transfer the Gaza Strip to civilian administration and to disarm Hamas and other armed organizations.
Phase B was supposed to begin only once all the hostages have returned.
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Therefore, there is criticism in Israel that the body of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, has not been returned. There is also criticism that reconstruction is beginning before Hamas has been disarmed.
On Friday, Trump spoke about the plan for Gaza's reconstruction. He said that Gaza would be managed by a committee of 15 professionals (the Technocrats' Committee). The committee will manage daily life: water, electricity, and education. Above the professional committee will be the "Executive Committee of Gaza," with members from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE. Above the executive committee will be the "Peace Council." The Peace Council will be led by Trump himself. Additional members include Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In Israel, there is much focus on the members of the new professional committee and the executive committee guiding it. According to reports, many members of the professional committee were previously part of the Palestinian Authority and have close ties to it. Additionally, there is significant criticism in Israel over the fact that representatives from Turkey and Qatar are members of the executive committee.
The opposition leader, Yair Lapid, said that Turkey and Qatar’s involvement in managing Gaza is a political failure for Israel. Netanyahu himself released a statement clarifying that Israel opposes the composition of the committee. Netanyahu said he asked Israel's foreign minister to discuss the matter with the Americans.