A newly released logo for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, featuring the emblem of the Palestinian Authority, sparked a backlash in Israel on Monday, prompting a firm denial from the prime minister’s office that any such symbol had been agreed upon.
The committee, formed to coordinate postwar governance in Gaza, unveiled the logo on social media. Critics in Israel quickly seized on the inclusion of the Palestinian Authority emblem, interpreting it as a sign of unwanted political influence in the territory.
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The Palestinian Authority emblem (left) and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza logo
Shortly before midnight, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the criticism, saying the logo presented to Israel was “entirely different” from the one published online. “Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza,” the statement said.
The committee had previously used a different official insignia before the latest logo was circulated.
Avigdor Liberman, leader of the secular nationalist Yisrael Beytenu party, took to X (formerly Twitter) to lambast the government. “In the end, the post-Oct. 7 government has handed over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority! This, of course, in addition to allowing aid trucks, fuel and electricity to enter for Hamas terrorists. We were promised ‘total victory’ and got absolute disgrace. This weak leadership must be ousted, and the sooner the better!” he wrote.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed that “after Gaza there will be no Hamas and no Palestinian Authority,” but many of the 15 members appointed to the committee have clear ties to the Palestinian Authority. Sources familiar with the matter told ynet the committee is expected to communicate with the Ramallah-based Palestinian government on public and social services in Gaza while also coordinating with international aid agencies and the United Nations.
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The original logo of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, released prior to its replacement
A Palestinian source told ynet on Sunday that the committee is currently operating without a permanent headquarters, with no immediate plans to establish one. The source said the body’s work will likely be carried out in an emergency, ad hoc fashion, similar to previous operational patterns in the Gaza Strip, rather than through a formal institutional structure.
The source also noted that various sites across Gaza — such as in Gaza City and near Khan Younis — could serve as temporary activity points but not official headquarters. The official additionally criticized Israel for not providing caravan units that could serve as office space for committee members, saying many buildings in the territory were destroyed during the war.
For now, the committee’s role appears limited to technical and logistical tasks without broad administrative authority. Its members have not yet entered Gaza; Israeli and Palestinian sources estimate that up to half of them will operate from neighboring Egypt rather than from within the territory itself.