The committee of Technocrats Who Will Manage the Gaza Strip

Dr. Igal Shiri

Overview^[1]

• On January 14, 2026, Steve Witkoff, the American special envoy, announced the beginning of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Following that, the establishment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza was announced, a Palestinian technocratic body intended to manage day-to-day affairs in the Strip in accordance with the American 20-point plan.
• Most of the committee’s 12 members, headed by Dr. Ali Shaath, are affiliated with Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA), and some of them served in PA governments and public institutions. Committee members include Sami Nisman, a former official in Palestinian General Intelligence who was sentenced to imprisonment by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Hana Tarazi, the only woman on the committee and a Christian lawyer specializing in Islamic law.
• The members of the committee are entrusted with establishing the Gazans’ security, restoring essential services and fostering a society based on peace, democracy and justice. Committee chairman Shaath said its top priorities included providing shelter for residents and clearing rubble, and the cancellation of fees and taxes for Gazans and businesses in the Strip had already been ordered.
• Hamas claimed it was transferring governing authorities to the committee, while the PA noted the need to link institutions in the Gaza Strip with Judea and Samaria.
• In ITIC assessment, despite the committee’s genuine desire to begin its operations, in all probability it will encounter difficulties in translating its vision into reality. First, Israel will prevent them from entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing as long as the issue of the last murdered Israeli hostage is unresolved, forcing committee members to operate from Egypt. In addition, the degree of freedom of movement the committee will receive remains unclear, particularly in areas where Israel maintains security control. Moreover, despite Hamas’ alleged willingness to transfer governance to the committee, it will have to rely on tens of thousands of employees who remain loyal to Hamas after nearly two decades of absolute Hamas control in the Strip. In such a situation, the committee will at best be able to carry out limited assistance and reconstruction activities, but most likely not to resolve core issues of control, security and demilitarization.

Background

• According to the American 20-point plan for the future of the Gaza Strip presented in late September 2025, a temporary transitional government, based on a non-political Palestinian technocratic committee, would manage day-to-day affairs in the Strip, with Hamas not being part of the government and required to disarm. The plan was adopted by the UN Security Council as Resolution 2803 of November 2025.^[2] However, after the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect on October 10, 2025, Hamas quickly moved to re-establish civil and security governance in areas of the Strip that remained under its control.^[3]
• In October 2024, with Egyptian mediation, Fatah and Hamas agreed on the establishment of a Community Support Committee, a technocratic committee to manage the Gaza Strip composed of individuals unaffiliated with Palestinian “factions.” Contacts between the sides stalled for several months after Hamas demanded that the committee be administratively and financially independent of the PA, contrary to Fatah’s position.^[4] However, only at the end of December 2025 did Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem call on the PA to assume responsibility and establish its presence in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing Hamas’ preparedness to facilitate the PA task in light of the worsening situation (al-Arabi channel, December 29, 2025).

Appointment of the committee

• On January 14, 2026, American special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as part of the American 20-point plan. He said it included the establishment of a temporary Palestinian technocratic administration in the Strip called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and the beginning of disarming Hamas and other “armed groups”^[5] and the start of comprehensive reconstruction of the Strip (Steve Witkoff’s X account, January 14, 2026).
• Meanwhile, unofficial reports began to circulate regarding the names of members of the new committee (Palestinian media, January 14, 2026). Most of them, led by Dr. Ali Shaath, who was appointed chairman of the committee, departed for Cairo, where they met with senior Egyptian officials, foremost among them Hassan Rashad, head of intelligence (al-Sharq, January 17, 2026).
• On January 17, 2026, Shaath officially announced the names of the committee members and their portfolios. He said they had adopted the March 2025 Egyptian plan for reconstructing Gaza, which begins with providing temporary housing for Gazans until their homes are rebuilt. He also said opening the Rafah Crossing was a top priority, to enable the delivery of aid and supplies and to facilitate the movement of Gazans to and from the Strip. He said the committee was holding meetings to formulate a plan to “support citizens, wipe away children’s tears, feed every mouth and repair every home in the Gaza Strip” (al-Qahera al-Ekhbariya, January 17, 2026). The committee members and their portfolios are:^[6]
  • Chairman of the committee and holder of the energy and transportation portfolio, Ali Shaath.
  • Economy, trade and industry, Aaed Abu Ramadan.
  • Communications, Muhammad Hassan Shamali.
  • Agriculture, Abdel Karim Ashour.
  • Health, Aaed Yaghi.
  • Housing and lands, Osama al-Saadawi.
  • Justice, Adnan Abu Warda.
  • Security and interior, Sami Nisman.
  • Local authorities and water, Ali Barhoum.
  • Finance, Bashir al-Rais.
  • Welfare and social affairs, Hana al-Tarazi.
  • Education, Jaber al-Daour.

• Two individuals mentioned in early reports as holding positions in the committee were ultimately not appointed: the coordinator of the Supreme Authority for Tribal Affairs, Hasni al-Maghni, was removed from the committee because his reported opposition to agreements with Israel and his support for “armed resistance”^[7] drew criticism and threats from Ghassan al-Dahini, leader of the Popular Forces militia supported by Israel (Jusoor News, January 15, 2026). Dr. Rami Hallas, former mufti of the PA “Presidential Guard,” was picked for the religion’s portfolio, but his criticism of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre angered Hamas supporters (al-Fajr television channel, January 15, 2026).

The committee’s Mission

• The committee is supposed to turn the transitional period in the Gaza Strip into a foundation for “sustainable Palestinian prosperity.” Committee members are supposed to establish security, restore essential services and foster a society based on peace, democracy and justice. They are “committed to operating according to the highest standards of integrity and transparency, working to create a productive economy and adopting the path of peace to advance the realization of genuine Palestinian rights and self-determination” (Ali Shaath’s X account, January 17, 2026).
• In an interview immediately after his appointment, Shaath said the intention was to provide prefabricated structures equipped with health services and to temporarily house Gazans in shelter centers to be erected according to locations and areas, with rubble clearance beginning at the same time. He estimated clearing the process would not take more than three years and said the materials would be recycled, some used to create additional areas at sea to expand usable space in the Strip, and the rest for construction. He said the plan, prepared by the World Bank in cooperation with the ministry of planning and international cooperation and the ministry of public works and housing, would have three phases: an emergency assistance phase lasting six months; a recovery phase that might last two and a half years and included the reconstruction of infrastructure and basic facilities, followed by a reconstruction and development phase. He estimated the Strip would need seven years of serious work to recover. He noted that the committee would ensure the repair of damaged desalination facilities and establish new ones. Shaath said that Gaza’s power station currently produced 60–70 megawatts, while the Strip’s needs were about 150 megawatts, adding that work was underway to restart the partially damaged station and the capacity of the electricity line coming from Egypt. Regarding education, Shaath did not rule out employing teachers from Judea and Samaria (Radio Basma YouTube channel, January 14, 2026).
• One of the committee’s first actions was to exempt Gazans from all types of fees and taxes paid for local services, and to exempt businesses and the industrial sector from payments and taxes (al-Iqtisadiya, January 20, 2026). A “source in the technocratic committee” said an agreement had been reached with the Palestinian Monetary Authority according to which currency exchange and trade in all types of currencies and banknotes would be allowed to resolve the cash crisis in the Strip, calling on traders and citizens to cooperate (Iqtisad al-Balad, January 19, 2026).

The Challenges Facing the committee

• Despite the optimism and commitment to reconstruction goals, the committee faces challenges which may affect its ability to function:
  • Abdel Karim Ashour, who holds the agriculture portfolio, said the committee would work with all officials in the Strip, without discrimination and without political considerations (Ashour’s Facebook page, January 18, 2026). The Hamas government media information office said it was prepared to transfer its functions to the new committee, and all institutions and departments operating on behalf of the government would continue to provide services as usual, noting that employees in various sectors had expressed willingness to cooperate with the committee (Shehab Agency, January 19, 2026). Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem claimed the Hamas administration had begun taking logistical and administrative steps to facilitate the committee’s work and wanted to ease its task (al-Aqta channel, January 20, 2026). However, after nearly two decades of absolute Hamas control over all governance mechanisms in the Strip, thousands of officials in the public apparatus remain loyal to Hamas, and in all probability the committee will struggle to enforce its authority. Reportedly, alongside employees who served under the Hamas administration, the committee is expected to rely on appointments of former PA employees, while reorganizing government ministries and police mechanisms through the appointment of new managers and officers (Ilam Gaza Telegram channel, January 19, 2026). A “Palestinian source” said the United States was working to integrate Hamas police officers and former employees into the new administration of the Strip, subject to Israeli-American security vetting (Sky News Arabic, January 22, 2026).
  • According to reports, the committee still does not know when its members will be able to enter the Gaza Strip and begin on-the-ground activity, as Israel opposes opening the Rafah Crossing as long as the body of the last murdered Israeli hostage held in the Strip has not been returned. For Egypt, entry of committee members through the Rafah Crossing has political significance, and therefore Cairo opposes the proposal that they enter through the Kerem Shalom Crossing (al-Risalah, January 21, 2026).
  • Hamas previously accused Sami Nisman, holder of the security portfolio, of attempts to undermine public order in the Strip and involvement in murder. After his appointment was announced, Hamas security services called him a “wanted spy” (al-Sayyad channel, January 15, 2026). Nisman sought to reassure his opponents and said the committee was not acting on behalf of any “faction,”^[8] adding that the security portfolio was a national responsibility for the protection of the Gazans, preservation of their dignity and restoration of a sense of public security (Hamza al-Masri’s Telegram channel, January 18, 2026). It was also reported that Nisman spoke with Jamal al-Jarrah, head the Hamas ministry of the interior, who promised to provide all the support necessary (Juthur News, January 20, 2026). However, it is unknown whether Hamas security personnel will indeed follow Nisman’s orders and allow him to carry out his mission, especially if he orders actions against elements identified with the “resistance.”^[9]

Palestinian Reactions to the Establishment of the committee

• The office of the PA chairman gave its support to the establishment of the committee as a transitional body. The office praised what it described as the determined leadership of American president and claimed he had created a new opportunity for peace, stability and proper governance in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the office noted the need to connect PA institutions in Judea, Samaria and the Strip, and opposed the establishment of separate administrative, legal and security mechanisms which might perpetuate duplication and division, while noting the principle of one system, one law and one legitimate weapon (al-Sharq, January 14, 2026).
• Fatah movement spokesperson Iyad Abu Zneit said the committee would operate under PA authority and coordination was already taking place in several fields. He said the committee was not a body parallel to the PA, but rather a framework for managing the Strip, and its chances of success depended on the existence of institutional cooperation between PA institutions in the Strip and those in Ramallah. He added that the position of the American State Department, which welcomed the PA stance regarding the committee, reflected international recognition of the PA as a central actor which could not be excluded from the next stage in managing the Gaza Strip (Radio Alam, January 15, 2026).
• The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said it viewed the establishment of the technocratic committee positively. However, it claimed to be “surprised” by the names of the members, who had apparently been chosen according to “Israeli specification” in a way which served the interests of the “occupation,” as a clear sign of negative intentions in advance for implementing the agreement (Quds Agency, January 17, 2026).
• The union of municipalities in the Gaza Strip welcomed the establishment of the committee, calling it important for easing the burdens on the Gazans, strengthening regional stability and regulating daily life. The union said the municipalities had provided responses during the war and afterward, despite a lack of resources, and expressed its readiness for full cooperation with the committee, while noting that practical steps and partnership were required which would lead to the provision of services, security and stability (Facebook page of al-Masdar Municipality, January 20, 2026).
• Alaa al-Din al-Aklouk, a member of the Hamas-affiliated National Union of Tribes, Clans and Families, called on behalf of the Union for committee members to return to the Gaza Strip and begin their work immediately. He added that the committee had support from political and tribal bodies, which would monitor its activity and work to improve it (al-Risalah, January 20, 2026).

Appendix: Members of The Technocratic Committee for Administering the Gaza Strip

       
Dr. Ali Abd al-Hamid Shaath: Committee chairman and holder of the energy and transportation portfolio
Ali Shaath (Right: al-Sharq al-Awsat, January 14, 2026. Left: Facebook page of Radio Basma, January 14, 2026)

• Biography: Born in 1958 in Khan Yunis. Member of one of the largest clans in the Strip, known for its support of Fatah. Worked for a period in the PA, and later returned to the territories. Has lived in Judea and Samaria for years.
• Education: BA in civil engineering from Ain Shams University in Cairo in 1982. He continued civil engineering studies in Britain and received an MA in 1986. He got his PhD in infrastructure planning and urban development in 1989 from Queen’s University Belfast.
• Public positions: Shaath held a series of positions in PA institutions. In 1995, Yasser Arafat appointed him assistant undersecretary for planning and international cooperation. During his tenure, under Nabil Shaath, he managed national planning portfolios, participated in formulating development plans and strategies for the Palestinians, played a role in drafting the national development vision within the PA and represented the PA with the international community on planning and development issues. In 2004 he was appointed undersecretary of transport and transportation, and supervised infrastructure projects and road networks until his retirement in May 2016. Politically he had permanent status in negotiation committees with Israel in 2005. He participated as a technical expert on borders and seaports, and after he retired he was appointed director general of the General Authority for Industrial Zones and Free Industrial Zones (PIEFZA). He served as chairman of the Palestinian Housing Council and chairman of the Palestinian Ports Authority, and worked as an advisor to the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR), as well as advisor to the PA’s minister of housing and public works. In addition, he was a member of the national committee for the reconstruction of the Strip following Operation Protective Edge.
• Political affiliation: “Sources in his family” said he had not been involved in political or factional activity. However, he is reportedly associated with the camp of Muhammad Dahlan (al-Sharq al-Awsat, January 14, 2026; al-Khamsa News Network website, January 13, 2026; Ultra Palestine website, January 14, 2026; Arabic Wikipedia; publication of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, January 2025).

Aaed Aouni Abu Ramadan (Abu Adi): Economy, trade and industry portfolio

      
ight: Meeting with Mahmoud Abbas as part of a delegation of the Federation of Palestinian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (Facebook page of Aaed Abu Ramadan, July 6, 2023). Left: In public activity (Facebook page of the Gaza District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, January 2, 2026)

• Biography: A member of one of the powerful veteran Gazan families and his presence strengthens the weight of local elites in the committee. His brother is the minister of health in the PA government, Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan, former mayor of Gaza who was mentioned as a candidate to head the committee for administering the Strip. His brother Muhammad was a minister in the 14^th PA government, headed by Salam Fayyad, and in the 15^th and 16^th governments headed by Rami Hamdallah, between May 2012 and June 2014. Their sister Hana was the Palestinian consul in Istanbul between 2016 and 2025.
• Education: Has a BA in civil engineering from Syracuse University in the United States (1985), and a diploma in development management from the University of Turin (2001) (Facebook page of Aaed Abu Ramadan; website of the Gaza District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Arabic Wikipedia).
• Professional background and public activity: Worked in senior positions in international and governmental institutions, local authorities and the private sector in the PA and in the territories. He was a procurement consultant at the World Bank, consultant at the International Labor Organization, consultant in the Danish project at the Ministry of Local Government, assistant mayor of Gaza, program manager at the Palestinian Investment Fund, and head of the administrative affairs department at the Islamic Bank of Palestine. He also served as director general of the Gaza Juice Factory. In recent years he worked as a businessman and farmer. He was the director general and chairman of the board of Aaed Abu Ramadan and Brothers for general trade and petroleum, which owns a fuel station, and of Super Food for food industries, which he founded in 2020 and which grows exotic fruits using advanced agricultural methods. He served as secretary of the association of fuel and gas station owners in the Strip, and as a board member of Gaza and Southern Villages Vehicles Company Ltd., engaged in transportation. At the end of January 2023 he was elected chairman of the board of the Gaza District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. He also heads the central emergency committee of Gaza’s chambers of commerce, and has been president of the Gazan sports club al-Hilal since July 2020 (Facebook page of Aaed Abu Ramadan; website of the Arabic District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Arabic Wikipedia).

Muhammad Hassan Shamali (Abu Muhammad): Communications portfolio

• Biography: Born in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City in 1975.
• Education: Has a BA in economics and political science from the Islamic University of Gaza in 1999, and an MA in political science from al-Azhar University.
• Professional background and career: Began working at the Palestinian telecommunications company Jawwal in 1999, and since then has held a series of positions, including corporate sales manager (2004), exhibitions manager in the Gaza Strip (2007), sales and marketing manager (2011), and the company’s commercial director in the Strip (2014). Appointed Jawwal’s general manager in the Gaza Strip on January 1, 2015 (Facebook page of palestineconomy, April 3, 2021).

Abdel Karim Ashour: Agriculture portfolio

• Biography: Resident of the Gaza Strip.
• Professional background: Chairman of the Gaza Mental Health Program, deputy chairman of the board of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Development Center (NDC), and as an economic advisor (Facebook page of Abdel Karim Ashour). He was previously director of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief committees (PARC), as a manager at the REEF Finance Company, and was a founding member of the Palestinian NGOs Network.
• Public statements: Ashour published numerous posts in which he criticized Hamas following the October 7, 2023 terrorist and massacre attack (Facebook page of Abdel Karim Ashour; previous Facebook page of Abdel Karim Ashour, March 24, 2022).

Dr. Aaed Mahmoud Mustafa Yaghi (Abu Mustafa): Health portfolio

• Biography: Born in Gaza City in 1967.
• Education: Graduate of general medicine studies at the Azerbaijan Medical University in 1992, and specialized in urological surgery in 1994. Holds an advanced medical specialization certificate in urology from the Palestinian Medical Council. In 2008, received an MA in public health management from al-Quds University in Abu Dis (albawaba24 website, January 14, 2026; publication of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, January 2025; Facebook page of Aaed Yaghi, November 29, 2015).
• Professional background: Worked as a urological surgeon between 1994 and 2003 before moving to the field of community health. Began working at the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in Gaza in 2003, and managed the society’s activity in Gaza for at least ten years. He is also chairman of the National Rehabilitation Society in Gaza, a member of the advisory council of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, and health coordinator in the Palestinian NGOs Network in the Strip. He is a board member of the Palestinian NGOs Development Center (NDC) and a board member of the Arab Network for Development in Beirut (albawaba24 website, January 14, 2026; Facebook page of Mohammed Ayesh, January 15, 2026; Facebook page of Mohammed Waseem Diab, January 15, 2026; publication of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, January 2025; Facebook page of Aaed Yaghi, November 29, 2015).
• Political affiliation and roles: Yaghi is a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian National Initiative movement led by Mustafa Barghouti, and is among the movement’s senior figures in the Gaza Strip. He is a member of the PLO Central Council and a member of the Palestinian National Council.

Prof. Jaber Ibrahim al-Daour: Education portfolio

• Education: Has a BA from Mansoura University in Egypt, and an MA and PhD from Manchester Business School in Britain. In 2014 he was promoted to the rank of professor, is a professor of managerial accounting.
• Professional background: Al-Daour held a series of senior positions, including vice president of al-Azhar University for financial and administrative affairs, deputy dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at al-Azhar University, president of al-Quds Open University in the northern Gaza Strip area, chairman of the Association of Accountants and Auditors, Northern Gaza branch, and a member of the board of directors of Palestine University. Since June 2020, he has served as president of Palestine University (Palestine University website, June 11, 2020).
• Political affiliation: Affiliated with the camp of Muhammad Dahlan (al-Araby al-Jadeed, January 14, 2026; al-Quds al-Arabi, January 14, 2026).

Dr. Bashir Zahir Bashir al-Rais (Abu Zahir): Treasury portfolio

• Biography: Lives in the al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City (Facebook page of Bowabat Hay al-Sabra). According to another report he lived in Ramallah (Facebook page of Bowabat Hay al-Sabra, January 15, 2025; Facebook page of Bashir al-Rais).
• Education: PhD in entrepreneurship at Imperial College London in 1993. Lecturres at Bir Zeit University (Facebook page of Bashir al-Rais; al-Iqtisadiya website, March 26, 2022).
• Professional background: Had advisory roles in the fields of economic development and business development. For decades he engaged in managing international projects. He was an expert and advisor to governmental, regional and international institutions at various times, and lectured at several Palestinian universities, foremost among them Bir Zeit University. He was a member of boards of directors of Palestinian bodies, including the Monetary Authority and the Industrial Zones Authority (al-Iqtisadiya website, March 26, 2022).
• Involvement in reconstruction of the Gaza Strip: Al-Rais was the coordinator of the Palestinian national office or team for reconstruction of the Strip, established by a decision of the PA government in October 2014 following Operation Protective Edge to coordinate funding for reconstruction projects (al-Ayyam, July 10, 2016; website of the PA prime minister’s office, February 5, 2017).

Dr. Ali Shahada Barhoum (Abu Haitham): Municipalities and water portfolio

• Biography: Lives in Rafah (Facebook page of Rafah Municipality, January 26, 2015).
• Public activity: Worked at Rafah Municipality for more than 30 years, during which he also served as director general of the municipality. Retired in 2014 (Facebook page of Rafah Municipality, May 28, 2013; Facebook page of Rafah Municipality, January 26, 2015). After retirement he was the director general of the Joint Services Council for Solid Waste Management in the Khan Yunis, Rafah and Central Gaza districts until June 2022 (Facebook page of Rafah Municipality, October 6, 2016; Facebook page of the Joint Services Council for Solid Waste Management in the Khan Yunis, Rafah and Central Gaza districts, June 29, 2022). As of 2023, he has been advisor to the council (Facebook page of the Joint Services Council for Solid Waste Management in the Khan Yunis, Rafah and Central Gaza districts, June 18, 2023).

Hana Hanna Tarazi: Welfare portfolio

     
Hana Tarazi (Right: Facebook page of al-Islam Television, January 17, 2026. Left: Facebook page of Yassin Ezz al-Din, January 16, 2026)

• Biography: Hana Tarazi is a prominent legal and social figure in the Palestinian arena and is considered a pioneer in the field of law, the first Christian female lawyer in “Palestine” to plead before sharia courts, as well as the first Christian woman in the Gaza Strip to open a law office (Dunia al-Watan, February 24, 2019; albawaba24, January 14, 2026).
• Education: She is graduate of law studies at al-Azhar University in Gaza, where she was the first Christian student to enroll in the Faculty of Law; her studies included Islamic sharia studies. After more than five years of practicing law in civil courts, she sat for the sharia courts examinations, feeling that a lawyer had to be well versed in the full range of legal aspects, particularly in personal status and inheritance cases. She studied Muslim law and sharia sciences independently for about six months, passed the official examinations and on May 16, 2018 received a license to plead before the sharia courts (Dunia al-Watan, February 24, 2019; albawaba24, January 14, 2026). In 2023 she received an in leadership and Christian service from Bethlehem Bible College (Bethlehem Bible College website, February 20, 2025; Facebook page of the Fatah office uniting Fatah-member lawyers in the Strip, March 7, 2023).
• Political affiliation: She may be affiliated with the Fatah movement. The women’s committee of the Fatah office uniting Fatah-member lawyers in the Strip congratulated her on receiving her MA. A Hamas-affiliated internet user published a photograph of her at a Fatah rally and claimed that the committee members were “independents” from Fatah (Facebook page of the Fatah office uniting Fatah-member lawyers in the Strip, March 7, 2023; Facebook page of Yassin Ezz al-Din, January 16, 2026).

Osama Hassan Saad al-Saadawi: Housing and lands portfolio

• Biography: Lives in Rafah, born in 1964.
• Education: BA in civil engineering from Bir Zeit University in 1987. MA in civil engineering specializing in construction management, from the Islamic University of Gaza in 2008.
• Professional background and managerial experience: Between 1992 and 1995 he worked as an engineer at UNRWA. Between 1995 and 1998, he worked at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and was involved in managing large projects, including the Gaza Port project. Between 1998 and 2018, he was the director general of the Palestinian Housing Council in the Gaza Strip, and was minister for entrepreneurship and empowerment in the government of Muhammad Shtayyeh between April 2019 and March 2024 (Man Hum website; Arabic Wikipedia).

Dr. Adnan Salem Ahmad Abu Warda (Abu Hamza): Justice portfolio

• Biography: Lives in the Gaza Strip.
• Judicial positions: Was a member of the Supreme Judicial Council and president of the Court of Appeals in Gaza. In 2019 he was appointed a judge at the Supreme Constitutional Court in Ramallah (website of the Supreme Judicial Council, February 12, 2017; Facebook page of the Abu Warda family, June 19, 2019).

Major General Sami Ali Ahmed Nisman (Abu Wissam): Interior and internal security portfolio

• Biography: Born in the al-Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City in 1967 and lived most of his life in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza City.
• Involvement in the Fatah movement: In his youth he joined Fatah’s Shabiba movement and was active in the first intifada. “Sources” stated that after he became wanted, he left the Strip in 1988, moved between Cairo, Tunis and other destinations, and during this period it was claimed that he met with Yasser Arafat.
• Security activity: After the Oslo Accords he returned to the Strip in 1994 and became a senior officer in the Palestinian General Intelligence apparatus. According to reports, he was close to Amin al-Hindi, the first head of General Intelligence, filled roles in the office of the head of General Intelligence and later served as head of the counterintelligence department, and was involved in investigation and oversight frameworks regarding elements entering the Strip. Reportedly had roles in arrest operations of Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives between 1996 and 2000, and over the years hostility between him and Hamas intensified, particularly during the second intifada and after the events of 2007 in the Strip. After Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in 2007 he was forced to flee and moved to Ramallah. There he was responsible for managing the Gaza file within General Intelligence, and later served as advisor to the head of General Intelligence for the southern districts (Gaza Strip).
• Additional information: Hamas security forces claimed that from Ramallah Nisman managed networks within the Strip “to undermine stability and security,” he was allegedly involved in the murder of two senior PIJ figures and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. Allegedly, he was accused of impropriety regarding intelligence activity regarding the entry of aid.
• Sami Nisman (Facebook page of Maher Abu Ramadan, January 17, 2026): According to “sources close to him,” in recent months he was forced into retirement against his will. That reportedly led him to strengthen ties with the camp of Muhammad Dahlan, including meetings in Cairo. “Other sources” claimed that the Dahlan camp was the one that promoted his candidacy for the security portfolio in the technocratic committee (al-Sharq al-Awsat, January 17, 2026).

1. Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications. See the November 2025 ITIC report, UN Security Council Resolution 2803 for the Future of the Gaza Strip – Positions of Power Actors

2. See the October 2025 ITIC report, Hamas Activity to Restore Security Governance in the Gaza Strip after the Ceasefire and the November 2025 report, Hamas activity to restore its civilian governance In the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire

3. See the October 2025 ITIC report, Preparations for “the Day After” in the Gaza Strip: The Palestinian Organizations Meet in Cairo and the November 2025 report, The PA prepares to administer the Gaza Strip after the war

4. Terrorist organizations.

5. See the Appendix.

6. Anti-Israeli terrorist attacks and violence.

7. Terrorist organization.

8. Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip whose objective is to destroy the State of Israel.

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