Gaza’s government media office supports committee of ‘technocrats’ to run post-war enclave

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Gaza’s government media office reiterated support on Thursday for efforts to form a nonpartisan committee of “technocrats” to run the post-war Gaza Strip.

"We welcome all efforts seeking to alleviate the suffering of our people amid the ongoing war of extermination waged by the (Israeli) occupation, including arrangements for administering Gaza through a committee formed of independent national figures and experts," Salama Marouf, who heads the Hamas-run office, said in a statement.

He said the media office is fully ready to support these efforts “as long as they serve the interests of our people in Gaza and end political division.”

“The administrative structure and the government staff are ready to implement the plan and its vision,” he added.

At an emergency Arab summit hosted by Egypt on Gaza on Tuesday, leaders reaffirmed in their final statement the urgent need to fully implement a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, leading to a permanent end to Israeli war and a complete withdrawal from the territory.

The summit also approved a five-year, $53 billion plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents.

The plan includes the formation of a Gaza administration committee composed of nonpartisan “technocrats” to run Gaza for a 6-month transitional period under the umbrella of the Palestinian government.

Nearly 48,400 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 111,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli war since October 2023. The onslaught, which left the enclave in ruins, was paused under the ceasefire agreement that took hold on Jan. 19.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.