The U.S. special envoy announced the start of phase 2 of Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, which will establish an interim government, fully demilitarize Gaza, and restore the region.
Foreign news agencies reported that on 14 Jan 2026, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Middle East special envoy under President Donald Trump, announced the launch of “phase 2” of the 20-point peace plan to end the more than two-year-long war in the Gaza Strip.
Witkoff stated in a social media post on Wednesday that Trump's 20-point peace plan is "transitioning from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction."
Witkoff said that in the second phase, an interim government will be established to govern Gaza, which will be made completely demilitarized while reconstruction efforts take place.
“The U.S. expects Hamas to fully comply with its obligations, including the immediate return of the last hostage. Failure to comply will result in severe consequences,” Witkoff said.
According to information from the Gaza government's media office, Israel has violated the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement over 1,190 times since it took effect in October, resulting in more than 400 Palestinian deaths and blocking humanitarian aid from entering the area.
Hamas has condemned Israel's repeated ceasefire violations but has yet to comment on Witkoff’s announcement.
An Al Jazeera reporter noted that Hamas previously indicated willingness to relinquish administrative power in Gaza as outlined in Trump’s plan, but it remains unclear what the structure and authority of the expected interim governing body will be.
There are also questions regarding Gaza's reconstruction, as over 80% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed due to Israeli bombardments.
Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, first proposed in September, also includes establishing a “Board of Peace” chaired by Donald Trump and deploying an “International Stabilization Force” to maintain security in Gaza.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Nikolay Mladenov, former UN special envoy for the Middle East, will lead the Board tasked with overseeing the technocratic Palestinian government managing Gaza.
Mediating countries such as Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt have welcomed the formation of the Palestinian technocratic government, naming Ali Abdel Hamid Shath, former Deputy Minister of Planning of the Palestinian Authority, as its leader.
They also emphasized that all parties must fully adhere to agreements to achieve lasting peace and create favorable conditions for Gaza’s reconstruction.
However, Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst at Al Jazeera, questioned how the U.S.-led plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza could succeed, noting the process "is staged to benefit Israel."
“How can there be a fair process moving forward when one side is continually favored while the other is disadvantaged?” Bishara said, adding that the majority of Palestinians’ freedoms and rights are also neglected.
“People in Gaza continue to suffer... while President Trump and his supporters celebrate and position themselves as ‘peacebuilders,’” Bishara said. “Israel has no interest in leaving Gaza, and the U.S. has no interest in pressuring Israel. So I believe this phase two will keep us stuck here for a very long time.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations and leading human rights groups operating in Gaza continue to call on Israel to allow unobstructed delivery of aid, including food, shelter supplies, and machinery essential for debris removal and housing reconstruction.
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Source:aljazeera