Palestinian families voice support for Gaza administration committee

Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip on Sunday announced their full support for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, pledging to protect its work and help remove obstacles facing its humanitarian and relief efforts.

The declaration came during a solidarity gathering organized by representatives of Palestinian families, tribes and clans at the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.

Speaking at the event, Alaa al-Din Al-Aklouk, head of the Families' Gathering, described the formation of the committee as a "pivotal national milestone" that followed regional and international efforts.

He said the committee faces "heavy and complex tasks," particularly in light of the widespread destruction caused by Israel's war on Gaza over the past two years, which devastated infrastructure, deepened poverty, fueled hunger and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Al-Aklouk called for urgent action to provide relief to Palestinians, clear rubble and launch a genuine recovery and reconstruction process that restores hope to Gaza's residents.

He stressed that families and clans are ready to support the committee and provide "all possible forms of assistance" to ensure its success, adding that they also intend to act as a form of popular oversight over its performance.

Al-Aklouk emphasized the need to shield the committee from political disputes that could hinder its mission, calling for a broad political umbrella to protect its work and align with efforts to ensure its effectiveness. He added that the body should be viewed as a temporary framework, urging the rebuilding of Palestinian legitimacy through comprehensive elections.

For his part, Hosni Al-Maghni, head of the Palestinian Clans Committees, said supporting the Gaza administration committee represents "a final opportunity that must not be squandered."

He reaffirmed the clans' commitment to facilitating the committee's work and removing obstacles in its path, away from factional or personal considerations, describing the clans as a "safety valve" to support the body as it works to rebuild what was destroyed by the war and ease the suffering of families left without shelter.

Earlier Sunday, Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, signed the committee's mandate in its first official step, outlining its principles of work and areas of responsibility.

On Friday evening, the White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace and approved the lineup of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza as part of four bodies designated to manage the transitional phase in the enclave, alongside the Gaza Executive Council and an international stabilization force.

The committee was formed as part of the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect on Oct. 10, halting Israel's war that has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.