Gaza governance committee begins work

CAIRO: The Palestinian committee set to govern post-war Gaza has begun its work in Cairo, a member told AFP on Friday.

Formed on Wednesday as the second phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect, the committee is made up of 15 technocrats charged with administering the Palestinian territory after the Israeli bombardment on the enclave.

The committee's first meeting was attended by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to play a key role in the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, the member of the committee told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The committee members are scheduled to meet again on Saturday for another working session, he added.

"We hope to go to Gaza next week or the week after; our work is there, and we need to be there," he said.

"The committee's priority will be public services," the member said. "We will not be dealing with politics."

According to diplomatic sources, the committee will be based in Cairo, with members travelling to and from Gaza regularly.

The committee is headed by Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath.

It is set to be overseen by the "Board of Peace", headed by Trump himself.

Shaath told Egyptian state-linked Al Qahera News that reconstruction would be based on a plan presented by Cairo and Muslim-majority countries, which envisions rebuilding the territory without displacing its inhabitants.

"The housing issue is very important after the destruction of 85% of homes," Shaath told the channel.

Omar Shamali, another member of the committee, meanwhile, told AFP that "200,000 prefabricated units will enter Gaza ... to provide education, health, and security services."

Blair, Rubio in board of peace as ‘founding members’

Separately, Trump tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Tony Blair as founding members of the Gaza "board of peace."

Trump also named his special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and World Bank President Ajay Banga among those on the seven-member "founding executive board," the White House said in a statement.

Trump himself will chair the board, it said, adding that further members would be announced in coming weeks.

Blair is a controversial choice in the Middle East because of his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and Trump himself said last year that he wanted to make sure he was an "acceptable choice to everybody."

Trump also named US Major General Jasper Jeffers to head the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza.