Ahmed Kamel – Egyptian officials are expected to present the Palestinian leadership with a proposed list of candidates for a technocratic committee that would administer the Gaza Strip during the next phase of the ceasefire agreement, according to Palestinian sources familiar with the talks.
The proposal is set to be discussed in Cairo during meetings between Egyptian officials and a senior Palestinian delegation that arrived on Sunday afternoon. The delegation includes Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh and Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, and comes as preparations intensify for the second phase of the truce, which is expected to begin in the coming days.
A well-informed Palestinian official told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Arabic sister outlet of The New Arab, that Egypt will formally present the names of the proposed committee members to the Palestinian leadership for review and feedback. The committee is envisioned as a temporary administrative body responsible for civilian governance in Gaza, including oversight of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
“As expected, Egyptian officials will present the proposed committee names to the Palestinian leadership, and the latter will give its opinion on them,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He stressed that any governing body operating in Gaza must be rooted in Palestinian national legitimacy. “Any committee that runs the Gaza Strip without Palestinian national legitimacy will not succeed, and this position has been clearly conveyed to all Arab and American parties,” he added.
The Cairo meetings also focus on arrangements for reopening the Rafah crossing, a critical gateway for people and goods entering and leaving Gaza. According to the Palestinian official, there is an understanding that the crossing would reopen in both directions with a Palestinian and European presence, based on the 2005 agreement that governed its operation before the war on Gaza. Under the proposed arrangement, Palestinian security personnel would be deployed at the crossing but would wear civilian clothing.
Beyond border management, the talks are expected to cover broader security and administrative arrangements in Gaza during the post-war phase. Discussions include the Palestinian Authority’s readiness to deploy security forces to maintain order and support civilian administration. Egypt has reportedly trained hundreds of Palestinian security personnel from various agencies over the past year, with the stipulation that officers assigned to Gaza must have completed their training in Egypt.
A second source, also speaking anonymously, said that the United States and Israel have already given preliminary approval to the proposed names for the technocratic committee. According to this source, Washington and Tel Aviv have asked Egypt and Qatar to coordinate closely with the Palestinian leadership on several outstanding issues, including the committee’s formal affiliation with the Palestinian Authority government, the scope of its mandate, how it would function on the ground, and the chain of command between the committee and any deployed Palestinian security forces.
The Cairo talks follow a series of regional consultations by Palestinian leaders in recent weeks. Hussein al-Sheikh visited Qatar in mid-December and later traveled to Saudi Arabia, with both trips focused on Gaza, post-war governance scenarios, and the future role of the Palestinian Authority in the enclave.
The proposed technocratic committee is part of wider regional and international efforts to shape governance and security structures in Gaza as part of the ceasefire framework. While details remain under negotiation, the discussions underscore the central role Egypt continues to play as a mediator, particularly on issues related to border management, security coordination, and the political future of Gaza once the fighting subsides.
