US, allies preparing to announce transition to 2nd phase of Gaza peace plan in 'coming weeks'
The U.S. is preparing to announce a transition into the second phase of its Gaza 20-point peace plan in the coming weeks, according to a U.S. official, as the U.S. and its allies seek to maintain a fragile ceasefire brokered between Hamas and Israel in October.
The announcement would include the unveiling of a new governance structure in Gaza led by a Board of Peace, along with the launching of an International Stabilization Force to help secure the area.
President Donald Trump is expected to soon reveal the individuals and countries involved in those mechanisms as part of his announcement.
Ahead of the planned announcement, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz will head to the Middle East on Saturday. He is expected to travel to Jordan and Israel.
The 20-point Gaza peace plan was bolstered by a mandate secured by the United Nations Security Council in November, after member-countries voted in support of a resolution approving the plan.
Under the resolution, the ISF will work with Israel and Egypt, along with a newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force, to help secure border areas and ensure the process of permanently disarming non-state armed groups, including Hamas.
Waltz told the council that the ISF would be "tasked with securing the area, supporting the demilitarization of Gaza, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, removing weapons, and ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians."
The U.N. Security Council approved the creation of a transitional governance body called the Board of Peace that would supervise governance of a Palestinian technocratic, apolitical committee and oversee the reconstruction of Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Financing for reconstruction of Gaza following two years of war would come from a trust fund backed by the World Bank, according to the resolution.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly expected to meet President Trump in the U.S. before the end of the month to discuss the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.
-ABC News' Mariam Khan
