Inside the New Gaza Working Groups: Mandates, Disarmament, and Regional Concerns

ISF Commander Major-General Jasper Jeffers (R) speaks as former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair listens during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace on February 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Two joint working groups have been formed following talks between US envoy Jared Kushner, Board of Peace officials, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. The first committee focuses on the disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza, while the second group addresses humanitarian efforts such as sanitation, clean water, and health issues. According to Kushner, reconstruction in Gaza will not proceed until demilitarisation is fully complete.

The panels are designed to bypass existing deadlocks and move forward with Phase Two of Trump's 15-point peace plan. Board of Peace head Nickolay Mladenov, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee attended the meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside Shin Bet Director David Zini and military intelligence chief Shlomi Binder.

Disarmament and security

The first working group centres exclusively on security and complete demilitarisation, mandating that all light and heavy weapons be collected and permanently decommissioned alongside the dismantling of the tunnel network. Kushner estimated on Fox News that initial weapons collection and tunnel operations could begin within 60 to 90 days.

Surrendered weapons will not be given to the new Palestinian technocratic government, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). Instead, arms will be handed directly to an American-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) under US General Jasper Jeffers for destruction. Political analysts like Wesam Afifa and Eyad al-Qarra noted that transferring weapons to US military supervision under Israeli occupation could trigger severe sensitivity among Hamas and other factions.

Sanitation and ambiguity

The second working group addresses basic humanitarian needs, public health, sanitation, and clean water. Afifa and al-Qarra suggested that Israel's motives are tied to preventing disease outbreaks near its own forces and the Gaza envelope, transforming a broad political issue into a localized municipal crisis. Meanwhile, the operational mechanics and composition of this humanitarian panel remain unclear, with a senior Israeli official admitting details and timelines are not yet finalized.

Reconstruction frozen

Both the US and Israel have linked the two committees, stating no broader rehabilitation will occur until the security panel concludes its work. Ibrahim Fraihat noted this linkage exploits Palestinian suffering to pressure them into surrendering weapons. Meanwhile, Israel maintains its military presence and freedom of operation, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirming that targeted operations will continue and troops will not withdraw from the Yellow Line prior to disarmament.

Regional mediators, including Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari, have raised concerns over the unilateral roadmap, warning it poses risks to regional stability. Analysts view the working groups as a tactical maneuver by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bypass Palestinian governance, sideline regional mediators like Qatar, Turkiye, and Egypt, and selectively implement only favored clauses of the peace plan.