Egypt continued its political and diplomatic consultations for the second week to push for the implementation of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan in Gaza.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Ali Shaath, the newly appointed chairman of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which was formed last week.
Abdelatty stressed the importance of the role played by the NCAG in managing the daily affairs of the residents of the Strip and meeting their basic needs, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assume its full responsibilities in Gaza in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
Abdelatty expressed the hope that the formation of the committee and the experience of its members will contribute to ensuring the efficiency of institutional performance and achieving administrative stability in Gaza during the transitional period.
He stressed that Egypt will continue to provide full support to the Palestinians during the critical phase that the Palestinian cause is currently passing through.
He also pointed to the need to complete the steps leading to implementing the remaining requirements of the second phase of Trump’s plan, most notably the formation and deployment of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), the continued provision of humanitarian and relief aid to Gaza, and the paving of the way to the early recovery and reconstruction of the Strip.
The NCAG was officially formed in Cairo on 15 January amid positive responses from the Arab world and the United States, but with reservations from the Israeli side. The committee’s first meeting was held at the US Embassy in Cairo.
Shaath said the committee comprises 15 prominent Palestinian professionals and national figures, and that it has received financial support and a two-year budget, covering its operational lifespan.
He called for the establishment of a World Bank fund for the reconstruction and relief of Gaza, indicating that “there are promises from influential countries in the region to provide substantial and tangible financial support.”
He said the fact that the committee’s first meeting was held in Cairo clearly shows how far Egypt has gone in supporting the Palestinian cause and putting an end to the war in Gaza.
“We hope that the creation of this committee will turn a page in the history of Palestine and open a new chapter of hope,” Shaath said, also emphasising that the official start of the Committee’s work from Cairo reflects a broad Palestinian confidence in Egypt.
In an interview with Al-Qahera News, Shaath described Egypt as the main supporter of achieving the Palestinian people’s aspirations for stability and development, saying that “I thank Egypt, its president, government and people, for their great support.”
He explained that the relief plan for Gaza is based on the Egyptian plan approved by the Arab League in March 2025 (which covers five years at a cost of about $53 billion) and that it was welcomed by the European Union.
The first step adopted by the NCAG is to supply 200,000 prefabricated housing units to the Strip to give shelter to families who live in tents and suffer from cold weather.
On Saturday, Shaath also met with chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Hassan Rashad, who emphasised Egypt’s commitment to work for the success of the NCAG and its support for its tasks.
Rashad was selected on 16 January by the White House to be one of the members of the Gaza Committee that will be in charge of overseeing the implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.
Commenting on the latest developments, Palestinian political analyst Tamara Haddad said Egypt played a fundamental role in the NCAG and is pushing for the implementation of the second phase of Trump’s peace plan.
“Egypt also played the main role in preventing the displacement of the Palestinians from their land and standing up to Israeli obstacles preventing the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza,” Haddad said.
She told the media that the Egyptian support for Gaza’s Administrative Committee stems from the fact that it is a necessary transitional step for managing the affairs of the Strip and coordinating the entry of humanitarian aid in order to meet the urgent needs of the population in the light of the widespread destruction left by the war.
Ahmed Fouad Anwar, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and an expert on Israeli affairs, said the success of the Gaza Committee will depend on stopping the Israeli aggression and the ongoing violations against the Gaza Strip.
Egypt is working on doing this with an increasing political and security momentum.
“As you see, Egypt is moving on three fronts at this stage: hosting the meetings of Gaza’s Administrative Committee in Cairo, coordinating with international mediators, particularly the US, Turkey, and Qatar, and playing an active move to consolidate the ceasefire agreement,” Anwar said.
“It is clear that the Egyptian role is not limited to political sponsorship but extends to implementing the second phase of Trump’s peace plan.”
In a joint press conference with his Bosnian counterpart Elmedin Konnakovic on Saturday, Abdelatty said the formation of Gaza’s Administrative Council is part of the requirements of the Security Council resolution stipulating the establishment of a Peace Council to be chaired by Trump and comprise 25 heads of states, including Egypt.
He said Egypt is currently heavily engaged in implementing the second phase of Trump’s 20-point plan and fulfilling the obligations of the Security Council resolution.
In the meantime, Abdelatty had telephone conversations with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan, Foreign Minister of Kuwait Abdullah Ali Al-Yehia, and Foreign Minister of Turkey Hakan Fidan to address developments in Gaza and give support to the Gaza Committee, deploy the ISF, pave the way for the early recovery and reconstruction of the Strip, and continue the flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Abdelatty also received a call from Steve Witkoff, US special envoy to the Middle East, as part of the ongoing coordination and consultation between Egypt and the United States to exchange views on the next steps and procedures following the transition to the second phase of the Gaza peace plan.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 22 January, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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