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U.S. says it's moving into next phase of Gaza peace plan, warns Hamas of "serious consequences" if body of final hostage not returned

/ CBS/AP

The United States says it's moving into the next phase of a Gaza peace plan involving disarming Hamas, rebuilding and daily governance.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff  that this second phase of the president's "20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict" would move on from the initial ceasefire deal agreed to late last year to demilitarizing Gaza, establishing a new technocratic government and reconstruction.

Witkoff said that the U.S. expects Hamas to immediately return the final dead hostage as part of its obligations under the deal.

"Failure to do so will bring serious consequences," Witkoff wrote.

Witkoff did not offer any details about who would serve on the new transitional Palestinian administration that would govern Gaza. The White House also did not immediately offer any additional information.

The mediators of the ceasefire deal — Egypt, Turkey and Qatar — welcomed the establishment of the committee and said it would be led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.

"This is an important development to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," they said in a joint statement.

The Gaza native served as a deputy minister for transportation with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Shaath, an engineer, is an expert in economic development and reconstruction, according to his biography on the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute's website.

A Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, told Al-Jazeera Live on Wednesday that Witkoff's announcement is an important and positive development, adding that the group is ready to hand over the administration of Gaza to the independent technocratic committee and facilitate its work.

"Hamas is ready to engage in internal Palestinian approaches to discuss the issue of the resistance weapons," Qassem said in a statement that he shared on his Telegram channel.

The body of the last hostage is believed to be that of Ran Gvili, who served in an elite Israeli police unit. After helping people escape from the Nova music festival during the Oct. 7 attack, he was killed fighting at another location and his body was taken to Gaza. The military confirmed his death four months later. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Wednesday evening to Gvili's parents, Tali and Itzik Gvili, and told them that the return of their son's remains a top priority, his office said in a statement.

"The declarative move to establish a technocratic committee will not affect efforts to return Ran to Israel's grave," the statement said.

The statement added that Israel will act on any information the mediators receive and said Hamas is required under the ceasefire agreement to do all it can to return each and every hostage.

In all, 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 others have been returned to Israel since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire began in early October. The returns of remains are a key part of the terms of the initial ceasefire, which has held despite both Hamas and Israel accusing each other of violations.

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