ISTANBUL

Palestinian factions and political forces said Wednesday they support ongoing mediation efforts to establish a “national transitional body” to administer the Gaza Strip, urging swift steps to enable it to immediately take over governance responsibilities in the territory.

The stance was announced in a joint statement following a meeting in Cairo convened at Egypt’s invitation and held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News.

The talks formed part of broader mediation efforts led by Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, in line with a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, and to address the political and humanitarian consequences of Israel’s war on the enclave.

According to the statement, the factions stressed the need to create suitable conditions for the transitional body to promptly assume full responsibility for managing daily life in Gaza, including essential public services.
They said the body would work in coordination with a “peace council” and its executive committee, which are expected to oversee the approval and implementation of Gaza’s reconstruction process.

The committee is part of a plan proposed by Trump to administer Gaza after Israel’s war on the territory, which has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

The factions also welcomed the roles played by Trump and the mediators – Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar - in supporting the Palestinian people and seeking to alleviate suffering in Gaza.

They reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and engaging with all remaining stages of the proposed framework.

Israel has delayed launching the second phase of the ceasefire, linking it to the recovery of the remains of its last captive in Gaza, while Hamas has said locating and retrieving the remains could take time due to the extensive destruction.