Key points
- Palestinian factions agree on technocrat governance
- Gaza residents return to devastated homes
- Washington explores new humanitarian aid mechanism
ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about soon forming an international force to monitor the Gaza ceasefire, as Palestinian factions agreed that a technocratic committee would govern the territory after the invasion.
Rubio visited Israel following Vice President J.D. Vance, as part of Washington’s push to urge both Hamas and Israel to uphold the truce. He said it was essential that the agreement “create the conditions for the stabilization force to come in as soon as it possibly can be put together.”
In Cairo, Palestinian factions announced in a joint statement on Hamas’s website that they would hand “over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a temporary Palestinian committee composed of independent ‘technocrats’, which will manage the affairs of life and basic services in cooperation with Arab brothers and international institutions.”
Meanwhile, Gaza residents continued returning to what remained of their homes, many of which now lie inside Israeli-controlled zones beyond the “Yellow Line.”
New aid delivery plan
The US is weighing a new aid delivery plan for Gaza that could replace the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Two US officials and a humanitarian source said several models were being explored to boost humanitarian access after two years of massacre. “Multiple approaches are being considered to effectively get aid to the people of Gaza — nothing is finalized,” a senior US official noted.
After two years of devastating conflict, Gaza is buried beneath more than 61 million tonnes of debris, with three-quarters of all buildings destroyed, according to UN data.
By July 8, 2025, the Israeli military had damaged or destroyed around 193,000 structures — roughly 78 percent of pre-war buildings. UNOSAT satellite analysis from late September indicated even greater destruction in Gaza City, where 83 percent of buildings were damaged or obliterated. The total debris, 61.5 million tonnes, equals nearly 170 times the weight of New York’s Empire State Building.
