Trump Admin Launches Phase Two Of Gaza Peace Plan With Warning To Hamas

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced the launch of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, seeking to shore up the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the new phase transitions Gaza from a temporary truce toward demilitarization, technocratic governance, and long-term reconstruction. A central component of the second stage is the establishment of a transitional Palestinian governing body in Gaza, called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

“The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations,” Witkoff wrote in a post on X, warning that failure to do so would result in “serious consequences.”

Trump’s Gaza peace framework was signed in October and approved by the United Nations (UN) Security Council in November. The first phase established a ceasefire, called for the release of living and deceased hostages, facilitated a limited Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrawal from Gaza City, and expanded humanitarian aid.

While Witkoff offered few specifics, the second phase is expected to center on the disarmament of Hamas, additional withdrawals of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and the creation of an International Stabilization Force composed of foreign troops tasked with maintaining order in Gaza, according to the UN. The administration has not yet announced which countries will contribute to the stabilization force.

The 15-member NCAG will be headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, according to mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, sporadic clashes, including Israeli airstrikes, have continued. Hamas has returned the remains of all but one hostage taken during its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Witkoff said the second phase requires the immediate return of the final hostage’s remains.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his support after the announcement, saying in a statement Wednesday that he “welcomes the efforts undertaken by President Donald Trump to complete the implementation of his peace plan” following the formation of the Gaza committee.

“The Presidency further stresses the importance of working with the United States and relevant partners to take decisive steps in the West Bank in parallel with the transitional phase in Gaza,” Abbas wrote on X. “This includes ensuring a halt to unilateral actions that violate international law; preventing settlement expansion plans and settler terrorism ; releasing withheld Palestinian funds; preventing displacement and annexation; and preclude any undermining of the Palestinian National Authority and the two-State solution.”

Trump is also expected to announce the members of the “Board of Peace,” to oversee the implementation of the peace plan.

The durability of the plan remains uncertain, however, as Hamas has reasserted control over significant portions of Gaza since the ceasefire was announced in October. While Hamas said Sunday it would dissolve its governing authority once the NCAG assumes control, it did not provide a timeline for the transition, according to PBS News.