Boys look at the tents, housing displaced Palestinians in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza Strip. AFP
In a statement to Al Jazeera, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the group had formed a supervisory committee comprising representatives of political factions, clans, civil society and figures affiliated with international institutions to oversee the transfer of governmental and administrative bodies to the national committee.
Qassem called on all parties to facilitate the work of the NCAG to initiate the reconstruction process following two years of Israel’s devastating war.
The NCAG is a newly formed transitional Palestinian technocratic body established under United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2803 and US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.
The committee, headed by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) deputy minister, held its inaugural meeting in Cairo on 15 January 2026, where it was formally authorised to assume civil administration and internal security responsibilities in Gaza, oversee stabilization efforts, and manage early recovery and reconstruction until the PA completes its reform programme.
The Hamas statement coincided with the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in both directions for limited passenger movement under strict Israeli restrictions.
The reopening is expected to facilitate the entry of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic body into Gaza to begin the day-to-day governance of the territory’s 2.2 million residents, as stipulated under the second phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Cairo, Doha, Ankara, and Washington, and signed on 10 October in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Israel has occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing since May 2024 blocking all forms of aid to Gaza.
In remarks to media outlets, Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said Israeli conditions were obstructing passenger movement through the Rafah crossing, adding that the occupation does not want people to enter or leave Gaza freely.
“We do not know why the independent national committee for managing Gaza has not begun its work,” Hamad said, amid speculation that new Israeli obstacles are being imposed to hinder the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel had previously pledged on several occasions - most recently in December - to allow the crossing to reopen. Rafah is the only direct link between Gaza and Egypt, aside from five other crossings that connect the territory to Israel.
Egyptian sources told Ahram Weekly that the impasse was largely due to Israel’s preference to operate Rafah primarily as an exit point. Egypt, however, maintained a firm stance, refusing to operate its side of the border unless Palestinians were also permitted to return to the Gaza Strip.
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