United States President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, announced on January 14, 2026, the launch of 'Phase Two' of the US-brokered plan to end the Gaza conflict. This marks a significant shift from the initial ceasefire to focusing on demilitarization, technocratic governance, and large-scale reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Witkoff stated via social media that the 'President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict' is progressing, with Phase Two establishing a transitional Palestinian administration, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). The plan calls for the full demilitarization of the territory and the disarmament of all unauthorized armed personnel. The US anticipates full compliance from Hamas with its obligations, specifically emphasizing the immediate return of the final deceased hostage, identified as St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili. Failure to comply is expected to lead to serious consequences. The announcement follows reports from December 2025 that President Trump was expected to unveil the next phase of his peace plan. Several news outlets, including Al Jazeera, The Jerusalem Post, Daily Sabah, Las Vegas Sun, Kurdistan24, Ahram Online, Xinhua, CBC News, and Anadolu Ajansı, corroborated the launch of Phase Two. Notably, Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, along with the Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency, publicly endorsed the formation of the technocratic committee, a crucial step for the plan's implementation. Witkoff also extended gratitude to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their indispensable mediation efforts that contributed to the progress achieved so far in the negotiations and implementation of the plan.