CAIRO — A US-backed Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with running day-to-day public services in Gaza has held its first formal meeting in Cairo, led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority who is expected to chair the body, according to regional and international reporting.
The committee is intended to provide basic administration for Gaza’s more than two million residents amid a fragile ceasefire and massive humanitarian needs, while operating under the oversight of a new international framework known as the “Board of Peace,” which the White House announced this week and which is chaired by US President Donald Trump.
Reuters has reported that the technocratic body is designed to assume governance functions in Gaza as part of the plan’s “Phase 2,” with mediators including Egypt, Qatar and Turkey involved in the broader architecture. Al Jazeera cited Shaath describing the committee as focused on delivering services and stabilising conditions for civilians.
The committee’s launch comes amid intensifying diplomatic disputes over who should shape post-war governance. Israel has objected to the announced composition of a related “Gaza Executive Board” operating under Trump’s Board of Peace, saying it was not coordinated with Israel and ran contrary to Israeli policy. Reuters and other outlets noted Israel’s particular concern with the inclusion of senior Turkish and Qatari figures.
While Washington says the plan has progressed from ceasefire implementation toward stabilisation and reconstruction, key obstacles remain. Central among them are the proposed deployment of an International Stabilization Force to provide security and train a new policing structure, and the politically explosive question of Hamas disarmament, which has historically been rejected by Hamas absent a pathway to Palestinian statehood.
The humanitarian backdrop is severe. Gaza has suffered extensive destruction and mass displacement during the war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Reporting cited by Reuters describes tens of thousands of Palestinians killed and large-scale devastation across the territory during Israel’s subsequent military campaign, while Israel says its actions were in self-defence and aimed at dismantling Hamas.
Analysts say the technocratic committee’s early credibility will depend on whether it can function independently, secure resources, and coordinate with security arrangements without being seen as imposed from outside—especially as both Israelis and Palestinians contest the legitimacy and intent of the new Trump-led oversight structure
