On Air Now

Darren Lethem

6:00pm - 10:00pm

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

US launches phase two of plan to end Gaza conflict, including creation of transitional authority

Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has announced the launch of phase two ​of ​the plan to end the conflict in Gaza.

It includes disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing a group of Palestinian experts to govern Gaza under American supervision.

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which is described as a transitional technocratic body, will be responsible for administering daily affairs in Gaza.

NCAG will be overseen by the "Board of ​Peace", an international panel led by Donald Trump.

Phase two is outlined under a ceasefire deal, brokered by the US, which was secured after two years of war between Israel and Hamas.

"The ​US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final ⁠deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences," Witkoff wrote in a post ​on X.

Sky's US correspondent Mark Stone says the part about disarming Hamas is "clearly a huge challenge", and there is no detail on that.

"They [Hamas] haven't disarmed. And [Israel] also wanted the remains of the last hostage to be found and brought back... that still hasn't happened.

"Notwithstanding both of those facts, the Americans have persuaded the Israelis to agree to move to phase two.

"The other significant point is that the Palestinians also appear happy with this move to phase two. And they are endorsing it."

The mediators of the ceasefire deal - Egypt, Turkey and Qatar - welcomed the establishment of the NCAG and said it would be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian defence and foreign minister who served as UN envoy to Iraq, has been selected as the Board of Peace's director-general.

Sky's Middle East correspondent, Adam Parsons, said that "as for the second phase, it's enormously complicated. And there are so many huge assumptions within it".

"Hamas has to disarm... that is going to be a herculean task. Israel has to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. I have to say they [Israel] are not going to do that as long as Hamas has failed to disarm. These are huge boulders in the path of progress."

"This peace plan does also call for a sort of safeguarding military peacekeeping force, but there are no indications about who could serve."

Read more from Sky News:
Analysis: Gaza longs for normality
Mother of Israeli hostage warns Hamas

The ceasefire reached under Donald Trump's 20-point plan took effect in October and stopped much of the fighting.

But the first phase of the deal has faced multiple challenges, including Hamas failing to find and return the remains of the last remaining Israeli hostage, Israeli airstrikes ‌which have killed hundreds of people, a refusal by Hamas to disarm and Israeli delays in reopening Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Although the two sides accuse ‌each other of breaching the deal, Donald Trump says he wants to move on to the second phase.

The United Nations has estimated reconstruction will cost more than $50bn (£37bn). The process is expected to take years, and little money has been pledged so far.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: US launches phase two of plan to end Gaza conflict, including creation of transitional authori

Did you find this article useful?

This is the Coast is committed to providing a daily local news service for the Yorkshire Coast. We are a small locally owned and operated business which employs professional journalists and reporters. We do not receive any public funding or grants and we are entirely funded by our local commercial operations. We enjoy fabulous support from local businesses who work with us on their advertising and marketing campaigns, but the cost of providing high quality, well researched, fact checked local news coverage is significant.

If you appreciate what This is the Coast does, and would like to help support our journalism, please consider supporting us on a monthly basis today.

A small contribution from all our readers would really help support independent journalism for the Yorkshire Coast.

More from Video

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 5°C | Low: 1°C

  • Filey

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 7°C | Low: 2°C

  • Whitby

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 6°C | Low: 1°C

  • Bridlington

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 7°C | Low: 1°C

  • Hornsea

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 7°C | Low: 2°C

  • Driffield

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 6°C | Low: 1°C

News