U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will serve as chairman of a newly established “Peace Council” to oversee Gaza’s postwar administration, as the United States formally entered the next phase of its 20-point plan for ending the war.
“It is my great honor to announce that the Board of Peace has been formed,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform overnight. He said the council’s members would be announced soon, calling it “the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled.”
The announcement followed remarks by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who said a day earlier that Washington was launching Phase Two of the administration’s Gaza plan, moving from a ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.
Trump backs technocratic Gaza administration
In his latest post, Trump confirmed US backing for a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic government in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which he said would govern the territory during its transition.
“As chairman of the Board of Peace, I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic government,” Trump wrote, adding that it would be supported by a high representative of the board. He said the Palestinian leadership involved was committed to a peaceful future.
Witkoff previously said Phase Two includes the establishment of the technocratic Palestinian administration and marks the beginning of Gaza’s full demilitarization and reconstruction.
Demands on Hamas
Trump said the next phase would focus on securing what he described as a comprehensive demilitarization agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of all weapons and the dismantling of all tunnels.
He demanded that Hamas immediately honor its commitments, including the return of the final deceased Israeli hostage, warning that the group must proceed “without delay” toward full demilitarization.
Witkoff similarly said the United States expects Hamas to fully comply with its obligations under the plan, warning that failure to do so would carry serious consequences.
Humanitarian aid cited as groundwork
Trump said Phase One of the plan delivered what he described as record levels of humanitarian aid to Gaza since the ceasefire, reaching civilians at what he called historic speed and scale. He said the results had set the stage for moving to the next phase, adding that the United Nations had acknowledged the effort as unprecedented.
Witkoff said Phase One included the maintenance of the ceasefire, the return of all living hostages, and the recovery of the remains of 27 of the 28 deceased hostages.
He said the United States was deeply grateful to Egypt, Turkey and Qatar for their mediation efforts, which he said were essential to the progress achieved so far.
Council members to be named later
Trump has previously said the members of the Peace Council would be revealed in early 2026. Speaking to reporters at the White House last month, he described it as “one of the most legendary councils ever.”
“These will effectively be the leaders of the most important countries,” Trump said at the time. “Kings, presidents, prime ministers. They all want to be on the Peace Council.”
The White House has not yet provided further details on the council’s structure, authority or timeline for implementation.