Israeli PM Says Gaza Technocracy Committee Formation Does Not Obstruct Return of Hostage Bodies

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the formation of a technocratic committee to manage the Gaza Strip, Palestine, would not hinder efforts to repatriate the bodies of the last Israeli hostages held there.

Netanyahu made the statement after the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, announced the launch of the second phase of President Donald Trump's plan for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking with Tali and Itzik Gvili, Ran Gvili's parents, the last Israeli hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza, Netanyahu said the repatriation of their son's remains was "a top priority," his office said in a statement.

"The declarative step regarding the establishment of a technocratic committee will not affect efforts to repatriate Ran," he said, launching Anadolu (15/1).

Netanyahu also said Israel "emphasizes that the information provided to the mediators by the Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons and his team must immediately be translated into effective action on the ground," without providing further details.

Previously, Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of its plan to end the war in Gaza on Wednesday, moving from a ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic government, and reconstruction.

"Today, on behalf of President Trump, we announce the launch of Phase Two of the President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict," Witkoff wrote on X.

Netanyahu said the phase meant "moving from a ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic government, and reconstruction", warning of "serious consequences" if Hamas failed to honor its commitments, including returning the bodies of the last Israeli prisoners.

Prior to Witkoff's announcement, Palestinian factions and political groups said they supported the mediators' efforts to form a "Palestinian national transitional committee" to manage Gaza and called for conditions to be created so that the committee could immediately carry out its duties.

Israel has delayed the start of the second phase of the agreement, linking it to the recovery of the bodies of the last prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas said finding and recovering the bodies could take time because of the massive damage caused by the war.

Separately, the Palestinian media WAFA reported Wednesday, the death toll from Israeli aggression in October 2023 has reached 71,439 people, while the number of injured reached 171,324 people.

Medical sources said that since the October 10 ceasefire agreement, Palestinian casualties have reached 449, 1,246 people have been injured and 710 bodies have been found. Israel is known to continue to attack Gaza during the ceasefire, claiming to target Palestinian militant groups.

Israel also refused to reopen the Gaza crossings despite a UN Security Council resolution adopted in November 2025 calling for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in the region, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of the region.