Freeing Gaza from Hamas and Israel

The Board of Peace meeting held on February 19 in Washington officially kicked off phase two of President Donald Trump's 20-point plan.

- By GERSHON BASKIN

PALESTINIANS MAKE their way in a devastated neighborhood in Gaza City. The only way to rebuild Gaza is to have Hamas disarm and for the Israeli occupation to end, the writer says. (Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

(Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

For the first time, there appears to be an operational structure in place, including the appointment of NCAG - the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the new Palestinian technocratic government. All relevant parties - including the Palestinian Authority, Arab states, and even Hamas - have agreed to its composition. I know several of its members personally; they are serious, capable professionals worthy of the responsibility entrusted to them.

The Executive Committee acting on behalf of the Board of Peace has also been established, with former Bulgarian foreign minister and former senior UN official Nickolay Mladenov appointed as high commissioner.

It is troubling, however, that this Executive Committee includes no Palestinian representation. Without Palestinian political agency embedded at the senior decision-making level - especially in the body that holds authority over NCAG - serious questions arise about whether the Gaza technocratic government can genuinely represent Palestinian interests or exercise meaningful independence.

This entire process has taken too long to get underway. During these months of delay, more than 600 Gazans have been killed by Israel, according to reports, most of them not Hamas combatants, including women, children, and the elderly. For Gazans, the war did not end on October 10, 2025. During this time, because there is never a vacuum of control, Hamas has been able to reassert itself over a population that no longer wants to see it.