President Donald Trump is expected to announce the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal, pushing forward a plan aimed at sidelining Hamas terrorists and reshaping governance in the war-torn enclave, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.
Despite skepticism from U.S. allies and limited international funding, the Trump administration and Israeli officials say they intend to move ahead with "phase two" of the U.S.-brokered truce that ended more than two years of fighting, the FT reported.
The next steps are expected to include new governance arrangements, expanded humanitarian access and efforts to remove Hamas from control of civil affairs in Gaza.
The FT reported that Washington could unveil a new governance framework for Gaza as early as Wednesday. That framework would rely on a Palestinian technocratic committee to take over day-to-day administration from Hamas.
Nickolay Mladenov, a former United Nations envoy and Bulgarian defense minister, is expected to be named "high representative" for Gaza, according to the report. Mladenov would oversee a 14-member Palestinian technocratic body tasked with running basic services and rebuilding civil institutions.
However, the unveiling of Trump's Board of Peace is likely to be delayed, the report said.
U.S. and Israeli officials involved in the effort argue that tangible progress can be made quickly, citing potential "early wins" such as reopening the Rafah crossing to Egypt, expanding medical aid, and easing import restrictions.
However, broader challenges remain, including the lack of international peacekeeping forces and limited financial commitments. Only about $1 billion has reportedly been raised so far, far short of the tens of billions needed for reconstruction.
Western and Muslim countries have been reluctant to commit troops or funding while Israeli forces still control parts of Gaza and Hamas terrorists retain influence elsewhere, the Financial Times noted.
Another major obstacle is the unresolved issue of Hamas' disarmament, which Israeli leaders say must occur before any large-scale rebuilding or troop withdrawals.
The report also highlighted internal debates over past aid efforts, including the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed initiative that sought to bypass Hamas control of aid distribution.
That effort was plagued by security problems and disputes over responsibility for food shortages and violence near distribution sites.
Still, Trump administration officials remain confident, pointing to the ceasefire itself and the release of Israeli hostages as proof their approach can work. They are expected to seek additional political and financial backing at the Davos economic forum later this month.
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