Gaza Administration Committee Says Ready to Govern as Factions Split on Disarmament Deal

NCAG Welcomes Ceasefire Roadmap Progress

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza issued a statement on Friday welcoming announced progress on the roadmap for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The committee described the development as an important milestone for Gaza's residents after years of conflict, destruction and uncertainty. Its priority, the statement said, is to translate the progress into practical measures that improve daily life for people across the enclave.

The NCAG outlined that it has completed extensive institutional and operational preparations in recent months to take over Gaza's administration. These preparations focus on restoring essential public services, strengthening the rule of law, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery, and leading recovery and reconstruction efforts. The committee emphasized that rebuilding Gaza is immense and requires sustained international commitment, substantial financial resources, and close cooperation among all partners.

For Gaza residents long accustomed to fragmented aid deliveries managed largely by external actors, the emergence of a unified Palestinian administrative body signals a potential transition toward structured governance rooted in local institutions. This shift could move beyond immediate relief toward coordinated planning for services and legal frameworks, allowing communities to engage with authorities familiar with their accumulated hardships from repeated conflicts and restrictions. An indigenous authority may foster greater continuity in decision-making, reducing reliance on ad-hoc international interventions while aligning recovery priorities more closely with the enclave's specific social and economic realities shaped by prolonged isolation.

Trump Details Disarmament and Withdrawal Agreement

Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Israeli forces are set to withdraw in phases as the process moves forward. Trump credited Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye with helping broker what he described as a historic breakthrough.

The agreement, according to the announcement, would be implemented gradually. An International Stabilization Force would work alongside a new Palestinian police force to assume responsibility for security in Gaza. The ceasefire itself was brokered under Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, which is being overseen by the Board of Peace, which he chairs.

Regional involvement by Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye has historically provided channels for de-escalation in Gaza-related crises, reflecting their geographic proximity and diplomatic leverage with multiple parties. An International Stabilization Force paired with a Palestinian police component could introduce layered security mechanisms that gradually transfer operational control inward, potentially easing external military footprints over time. Such arrangements might address immediate stabilization needs while testing the viability of hybrid models that balance international oversight with local enforcement capacities, amid the enclave's complex history of factional dynamics and external pressures.

Islamic Jihad States Reservations on Reported Deal

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement responded on Friday that the announced agreement between Palestinian factions and Israel was inaccurate. In a statement, the movement's spokesperson said: "What has been announced regarding an agreement between the Palestinian factions and the enemy (Israel) is inaccurate, and we have reservations about it in its currently circulated form."

The group's statement followed directly after President Trump's announcement on disarmament and phased Israeli withdrawal. Islamic Jihad's position highlights ongoing differences among Palestinian factions regarding the terms as they have been presented publicly.

Documented Casualty Figures from the War

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 174,000 others, most of them women and children. The conflict has also destroyed about 90 percent of the enclave's infrastructure. These figures reflect the scale of loss experienced by families across Gaza over the course of the war.

Even after the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israel has continued daily attacks across Gaza. These post-ceasefire incidents have killed 1,214 Palestinians and injured 3,977 others, most of them women and children, while causing widespread destruction. The continued violence has compounded the challenges facing residents seeking to rebuild their lives.

Widespread infrastructure collapse on this scale disrupts interconnected systems for water distribution, waste management, medical facilities and housing, creating cascading effects that hinder daily survival and long-term public health. Children growing up amid these conditions face interrupted education, limited nutrition and exposure to environmental hazards, potentially shaping generational outcomes in physical development and social stability. Recovery efforts must therefore contend with the depth of these interconnected losses, where rebuilding one sector depends on restoring others, underscoring the protracted nature of returning normalcy to communities already strained by successive rounds of destruction and restricted access to resources.

Ceasefire Reality on the Ground

Despite the formal ceasefire, conditions on the ground show uneven implementation. Palestinians are seen as Israeli forces placed new yellow concrete blocks at the Sanfura junction, continuing to expand the area known as the Yellow Line despite the ceasefire in western Gaza City. Such actions illustrate how security arrangements continue to affect daily movement and access for local communities.

The NCAG statement stressed that the objective extends beyond reconstruction to building a Gaza that is safe, stable, and prosperous. The committee said this vision is governed by legitimate Palestinian institutions, grounded in the rule of law, and committed to upholding the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and statehood.

Historical Context of Prolonged Blockade and Conflict

Gaza has endured a blockade since 2007 that has restricted the movement of people and goods, shaping the enclave's economy and access to resources over nearly two decades. Previous wars in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021 left lasting damage to infrastructure and public services, patterns that residents have referenced when discussing current recovery needs.

These repeated cycles of destruction have created chronic challenges in areas such as water access and electricity supply. The NCAG's preparations for administration are presented against this backdrop of accumulated hardship, with the committee noting that the people of Gaza have waited long enough for practical improvements in daily conditions.

Reconstruction at the required magnitude depends on predictable inflows of external funding that can be sequenced with local administrative capacity, yet delays or political conditions attached to pledges often interrupt momentum. Sustained commitment becomes essential to avoid cycles where initial progress stalls, leaving partially restored services vulnerable to renewed deterioration. Without reliable resource mobilization, the gap between announced plans and tangible improvements widens, amplifying resident frustration after extended periods of hardship and testing the durability of any governance transition in an economy shaped by chronic constraints on trade, movement and investment.

Human Impact and Calls for Sustained International Support

The NCAG statement connected its readiness to the lived experiences of Gaza residents who have faced years of uncertainty. It said the committee is ready to work with all partners to advance recovery, reconstruction and a better future for the Gaza Strip. The emphasis on legitimate Palestinian institutions reflects long-standing aspirations for self-governance amid external pressures.

Trump's announcement positioned the disarmament process as part of a gradual transition involving regional mediators and an International Stabilization Force. The NCAG's response framed the ceasefire progress as an opportunity to shift focus toward humanitarian needs and institutional functions that directly affect families still coping with the war's aftermath.

Looking Ahead to Recovery Under Palestinian Institutions

The committee's statement concluded by underscoring that rebuilding efforts must serve the broader goal of a stable and prosperous Gaza. It called for sustained international commitment and substantial financial resources to make recovery feasible. This approach ties administrative preparations to the daily realities of residents who continue to navigate restricted movement and damaged infrastructure.

With the ceasefire roadmap advancing in phases, the NCAG positioned itself as prepared to assume responsibility for essential services and rule-of-law functions. The statement's focus on cooperation among partners reflects the practical requirements for translating announced progress into measurable improvements for Palestinian communities across the enclave.

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Reporting is based on sources cited in the article.