Israel says Gaza administration committee was announced without coordination

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Israel said Saturday that it was not consulted on the announcement of a committee to administer the Gaza Strip, arguing the move runs counter to Israel’s positions and policies regarding the future of the enclave.

“The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board (to run Gaza), which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on US social media company X.

Netanyahu “has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister (Gideon Saar) to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter,” the statement added.

On Friday night, the White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace and approved the lineup of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, one of four bodies designated to manage the transitional phase in the territory.

The move is part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Israeli genocide in Gaza, which the UN Security Council adopted under Resolution 2803 on Nov. 17, 2025.

According to the White House, former Palestinian Deputy Planning Minister Ali Shaath will head the Palestinian technocratic body.

The committee is tasked with rehabilitating public services, rebuilding civilian institutions and stabilizing daily life in the Gaza Strip, while laying the groundwork for long-term and sustainable governance.

Under the resolution, the committee is a nonpolitical body responsible for managing daily civil-service affairs and is composed of 11 Palestinian national figures in addition to its chair.

On the ground, the committee has not yet begun operating inside Gaza. However, Hamas said through its spokesperson Hazem Qassem that it will work to facilitate the handover process and support the success of the independent committee.

Shaath, for his part, said the committee has officially begun its work from Cairo, ahead of moving to Gaza and rolling out an urgent relief plan.

Palestinians have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the Oct. 10 ceasefire that halted Israel’s brutal war that has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

At least 464 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,280 others injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire, according to the Health Ministry.