The White House on Friday announced the names of several figures expected to help oversee the next phase in Gaza, as a U.S.-backed Palestinian committee tasked with governing the territory met for the first time in Cairo.
The committee’s head, Ali Shaath, a Gaza-born engineer and former Palestinian Authority official, said the group would begin work immediately to improve living conditions. He estimated that reconstruction would take around three years and said the initial focus would be on urgent needs such as housing.
“The Palestinian people were waiting for this committee and its work to help save them,” Shaath told Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News following the meeting.
Dhaka yet to decide on sending forces under ISF to Gaza; reiterates conditions
U.S. President Donald Trump has endorsed the committee’s role in managing Gaza after the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas. Following a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, Israeli forces withdrew from parts of the territory, allowing thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to heavily damaged neighborhoods.
Significant challenges remain, including the deployment of an international security force to monitor the ceasefire and the complex task of disarming Hamas.
Under Trump’s proposal, the technocratic committee would handle Gaza’s daily administration under the supervision of a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose full membership has yet to be announced.
White House names oversight officials
The White House said an executive board will be responsible for implementing the Board of Peace’s strategy. Members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.
Former U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov will serve as the executive board’s on-the-ground representative, overseeing day-to-day operations.
In addition, the administration unveiled the “Gaza Executive Board,” which will coordinate with Mladenov, the Palestinian committee, and an international stabilization force. Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, and Mladenov will also serve on this board, joined by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy, Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay, and former Dutch deputy prime minister and Middle East expert Sigrid Kaag.
Violence in the West Bank and Gaza
In the occupied West Bank, mourners gathered Friday for the funeral of a 14-year-old Palestinian boy killed by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the victim as Mohammad Na’san, saying he was the first child killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank in 2026.
Local residents said Israeli forces used stun grenades and tear gas without provocation, while Israel’s military said the operation followed stone-throwing and tire-burning by Palestinians.
The killing marked another violent incident in al-Mughayyir, a village east of Ramallah that has become a focal point of tension. Earlier this year, Israeli forces and settlers damaged olive groves and demolished a children’s park while searching for militants.
According to U.N. figures, 240 Palestinians — including 55 children — were killed in the West Bank in 2025, while 17 Israelis, including one child, were killed by Palestinians.
In Gaza, hospital officials said two children — a 7-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy — were killed Friday in Beit Lahiya near the Yellow Line. Their bodies were taken to al-Shifa Hospital, and further details were not immediately available.