Trump says he supports Palestinian transitional government in Gaza

United States (US) President Donald Trump said he supports the newly appointed “Palestinian Technocratic Government” in Gaza, where Washington announced the launch of the second phase of a ceasefire that came into effect in October but remains fragile.

“I am supporting a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the High Representative of the Council, to govern Gaza during its transition,” Trump said on social media.

Related news:

• More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since ‘ceasefire’ .
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In October, Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas approved Trump’s plan, which says that the Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by a so-called international “Peace Council”, which should oversee the governance of Gaza during a transitional period.

In another post, Trump claimed that the “Peace Council”, of which Trump himself is the chairman, had been formed and its members would be announced soon.

Israel and Hamas accuse each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where, since the start of the truce in October, more than 440 Palestinians, including more than 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been killed.

The ceasefire has also been tested by the failure to recover the remains of a last Israeli hostage, delays in reopening Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt and Hamas’ refusal to disarm so far.

By insisting on the second phase of the ceasefire, Washington and its mediating partners will need to confront the vexing challenges of Hamas disarmament, Israeli disengagement linked to disarmament and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force.

The Palestinian technocratic body will have 15 members and will be headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, who was responsible for the development of industrial zones, according to a statement by mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

“These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a future of peace,” Trump said. Many experts say that the fact that Trump is president of the council meant to oversee the governance of Gaza resembles a colonial structure.

He also reiterated that Egypt, Qatar and Turkey will help secure what he called a “comprehensive demilitarization agreement” with Hamas.

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