Washington, Jan 14 (.) US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Wednesday that the US would move to implement the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan.
“Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” Witkoff stated.
He continued: “Phase Two establishes [Benjamin] transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel. The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.”
“Importantly, Phase One delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire, returned all living hostages and the remains of twenty-seven of the twenty-eight deceased hostages. We are deeply grateful to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible,” the special envoy’s statement concluded.
Witkoff’s announcement comes as the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage, continues to be held in Gaza. All hostages were supposed to be returned during the first phase under the terms of the agreement. The Israeli government has maintained its opposition to the implementation of the second phase before Hamas fulfills all of its obligations from the first stage, including the return of Gvili.
Talik Gvili, mother of slain hostage Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called her and confirmed that the return of her son’s remains from Gaza is “our top priority.”
Gvili is the final hostage whose remains are still being held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and other terror groups. The move establishing a technocratic committee to govern the strip, and “any other action,” would not affect efforts to return Gvili’s remains, Talik said.
“The statement on Phase II focuses on the demand of disarming Hamas terrorists and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. There will be no IDF withdrawal until they are disarmed, no construction, and no reconstruction,” she said. The Rafah Border Crossing has not yet been reopened because “we insist on bringing Ran’s remains home,” she noted.
Efforts to return his remains are “being carried out in the intelligence and operational echelons, as well as via talks with mediators,” she elaborated.
“We have clear demands from Hamas because we passed on intelligence information, and things we have requested have not yet happened. Therefore, anything that is expected to happen will not affect the efforts and the demand to return Ran,” she affirmed.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, earlier on Wednesday, denounced the expectation that the Trump administration will proceed into Phase II, due to Gvili’s remains still being held in Gaza. “Moving to Phase II now, while efforts to secure Ran’s return have not been exhausted, would mean giving up the most significant source of leverage and could effectively condemn Ran to permanent disappearance,” the forum said.
Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh praised the launch of Phase II. “The Palestinian Presidency welcomes” Trump’s efforts, including “the establishment of the Board of Peace and its executive bodies,” Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh wrote on X/Twitter. “The Presidency announces its support for the formation of the Palestinian Committee for the Administration of Gaza during this transitional phase,” he added.
“The Presidency has maintained close coordination with the Special Envoy for Peace Mr Steve Witkoff, Mr Jared Kushner and the US teams and Mr Nickolay Mladenov in support of the United States’ efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and to move to the second phase of its implementation, including reconstruction,” Sheikh said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed that an agreement over the members forming the technocratic government had been reached during a press conference on Wednesday.
. XC .