US-backed Palestinian committee shares mission statement on Gaza governance 

The Palestinian committee tasked with overseeing the future administration of Gaza as part of a US-backed ceasefire plan has released what it says is a “mission statement”, laying out its key priorities and goals.

The general commissioner of the National Committee for Gaza Management (NGAC), Ali Shaath, said that the technocratic body would seek to restore core services and cultivate a society “rooted in peace”.

“Under the guidance of the Board of Peace, chaired by [US] President Donald J Trump, and with the support and assistance of the High Representative for Gaza, our mission is to rebuild the Gaza Strip not just in infrastructure but also in spirit,” Shaath said in a statement.

The NGAC was established as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza and authorised under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. The White House has said it will be concerned with the day-to-day rebuilding and stabilisation of the enclave, “while laying the foundation for long-term, self-sustaining governance”.

Under Trump’s plan, the reconstruction of Gaza would be broadly overseen by a “board of peace” and more closely guided by a “Gaza executive board”.

The NGAC faces enormous challenges. Gaza has been physically destroyed after more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war, and there is widespread scepticism from Palestinians over how much autonomy the body will have.

Those concerns have been compounded by the presence of firm supporters of Israel, and a lack of Palestinians, so far, on the board of peace and the Gaza executive board.

In his statement, Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) deputy minister, said the body would focus on establishing security control of the Strip, more than half of which remains under direct Israeli control, and restoring basic services destroyed throughout the war.

“We are committed to establishing security, restoring the essential services that form the bedrock of human dignity such as electricity, water, healthcare, and education, as well as cultivating a society rooted in peace, democracy, and justice,” he said.

“Operating with the highest standards of integrity and transparency, the NCAG will forge a productive economy capable of replacing unemployment with opportunity for all.”

In defiance of an existing ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, Israel has maintained severe restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza, which UN agencies and humanitarian groups have said is necessary to deliver services to Palestinians.

Hundreds of Palestinians have also been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza during that period, bringing the death toll to 71,548 since October 7, 2023.

The board of peace was announced as part of phase two of the ceasefire agreement, but letters from Trump inviting foreign leaders to join the body have suggested the US president may see it as a model for bypassing traditional international forums, such as the UN.

In mid-December, Israel announced it was banning more than three dozen international aid organisations from operating in Gaza.

Some Palestinians also worry that the NGAC’s technocratic approach may circumvent key political questions, such as the creation of a future Palestinian state and an end to Israel’s decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territory, in favour of a focus on economic development and outside investment opportunities.

In his statement, Shaath said the committee will “embrace peace, through which we strive to secure the path to true Palestinian rights and self determination”.