Israel USA: Implementation of Gaza peace plan enters next phase
According to the USA, the implementation of the Gaza peace plan is entering its second phase. This involves the disarmament of Hamas, the establishment of a technocratic transitional government and the start of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, announced US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Platform X.
14.01.2026, 18:25
SDA
The USA expected the Islamist Hamas to fulfill its obligations in full, including the immediate return of the last dead hostage. If it fails to do so, there will be serious consequences, warned Witkoff.
Transitional government in place
The members of the transitional government made up of Palestinian technocrats were also announced earlier. The committee is to temporarily administer the extensively destroyed Gaza Strip. The peace plan promoted by the USA envisages the transitional government from the second phase onwards. According to Al-Kahira News, participants at the meeting in Cairo said that this body should "immediately take over all tasks and responsibilities in the Gaza Strip to manage daily life and basic services".
According to Palestinian media, the interim government consists of 14 members, with the head of the committee, Ali Shaath, temporarily holding a second post. According to Palestinian observers, all 14, including one woman, have no links to Hamas. This is stipulated in the Gaza Plan. Schaath, for his part, was formerly deputy transport minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which administers parts of the West Bank. In the past, Israel has vehemently opposed the idea of the PA playing a role in the Gaza Strip in the future.
Hamas to be disarmed in second phase
The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre by Hamas and other extremist organizations on 7 October 2023. At that time, the terrorists killed around 1,200 people in Israel and abducted more than 250 others in the Gaza Strip. According to Israel, it then attacked Hamas targets in the coastal area. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in two devastating years of war, including many women and children.
US President Donald Trump presented the peace plan in September 2025. The ceasefire came into force shortly afterwards on October 10. As part of the first part of the agreement, all those kidnapped from Israel and the bodies of the hostages were to be handed over, among other things. However, the mortal remains of one Israeli are still in the Gaza Strip.
The next step is to disarm Hamas. The terrorist organization has so far rejected this. Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence with Israel and to laying down their weapons are to be granted amnesty.
International stabilization force to ensure order in Gaza
The second phase also provides for an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to ensure order in the Gaza Strip. However, its exact composition is still open.
An international "peace council" is to oversee the transitional government under the leadership of US President Donald Trump. The composition of this "peace council" also still needs to be clarified. This council will then also set up the "stabilization force".
In addition, the Israeli army is to withdraw from the majority of the Gaza Strip and gradually hand over previously held areas to the ISF.
Whether the transition to the second phase will actually succeed in the end is uncertain. Many points are still unresolved. The negotiations are likely to be even more difficult than the first phase due to major differences between the warring parties.
