Israel continued to attack Gaza, killing at least 11 Palestinians and wounding several others on Thursday and Friday, January 15 and 16, even as the ceasefire agreement with Hamas entered the second phase.
The United States on Thursday announced Phase 2 of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. This phase will focus on demilitarisation, technocratic governance and the reconstruction of Gaza.
On Thursday, Israeli air strikes targeted areas like the central city of Deir el-Balah, killing 10. On Friday, as it continued its drone strikes, Israel killed a 62-year-old Palestinian woman in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.
Data by the Gaza Health Ministry showed that Friday’s attack took the tally of Palestinians killed since the initiation of the US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025 to 452, Al Jazeera reported.
Phase 2 of ceasefire
Representatives of Hamas and other Palestinian factions were in Cairo, Egypt, for a discussion on the ceasefire agreement. Most of the objectives set during the first phase of the ceasefire brokered by the United States were not met.
The first phase of the ceasefire was supposed to immediately halt the fighting and facilitate the exchange of Israeli and Palestinian hostages. Apart from this, a timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza was also supposed to be drawn.
In a post on X, US Special Envoy for Peace Missions, Steve Witkoff, said, “Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.”
He explained that Phase 2 establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorised personnel.
“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,” the Envoy said.
According to a report by the BBC, following the announcement, regional mediators such as Egypt, Qatar and Turkey welcomed the formation of the “Palestinian Technocratic Committee to Administer the Gaza Strip,” saying it would contribute to “efforts aimed at consolidating stability and improving the humanitarian situation.”
The 15-member committee would be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy planning minister in the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the occupied West Bank not under Israeli control. Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian politician and former UN Middle East envoy, is set to be the board’s representative on the ground in Gaza.
According to Trump’s Gaza peace plan, an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will also be deployed to Gaza to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces.
Gaza’s transitional administration will operate under the supervision of a “Board of Peace,” which will be chaired by US President Donald Trump, according to the 20-point plan he unveiled three months ago.
Palestinian Authority supports Phase 2 plan
The Palestinian Authority expressed support for Phase 2 of the ceasefire agreement. Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh said Trump’s leadership urged all Palestinian factions, institutions and segments of society to “ensure the success of this critical transitional phase.”
The Vice-President stressed the importance of linking institutions in the West Bank and Gaza to uphold “the principle of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon.”
According to the peace plan, the PA will take over governing Gaza once it has completed reforms and could do so “securely and effectively.”
UN Secretary General condemns closure of health centre
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, condemned Israel’s entry into a UN facility in occupied East Jerusalem and the temporary closure of a key health centre run by the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
In a statement, Guterres said Israeli authorities “unlawfully” entered the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Centre on January 12, ordering it to be shut.
The facility provides primary healthcare to hundreds of Palestinian refugees each day and is, for many, their only access to medical services, the statement added.
Guterres said he had raised “grave concerns” directly with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and alerted the UN General Assembly and Security Council.
He also warned that UNRWA had been informed that electricity and water supplies to several of its facilities in occupied East Jerusalem could soon be cut.
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