Egypt’s intelligence chief on Gaza Executive Board: Who else is on the panel

CAIRO – 17 January 2026: Egypt’s intelligence chief, Minister Hassan Rashad, has been named as a member of the newly formed Gaza Executive Board, a key body established to support effective governance in the war-battered enclave.

Technocratic Committee

The White House announced this board on Friday to support a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, which is set to be responsible for managing daily life in Gaza.

The technocratic committee will be headed by Ali Shaath, a Palestinian civil engineer and former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.

Minister Rashad received the head and members of the committee on Saturday to emphasize Egypt’s firm commitment to ensuring the success of the committee’s work.

 

The establishment of this technocratic committee comes as part of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which kicked off last week after an announcement by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Board of Peace

The committee is overseen by a Board of Peace (BoP) under Trump’s chairmanship.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received an invitation from the US president to join the BoP, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told the state's news agency MENA on Saturday.

Abdelatty said Cairo is studying the proposal.

 

To operationalize the BoP’s vision, the White House announced a founding Executive Board with members including Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, notoriously known for his role in the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

The founding Executive Board also notably includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

World Bank chief Ajay Banga, American billionaire Marc Rowan, and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel are also members.

Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN Middle East envoy, will serve as the High Representative for Gaza under Trump’s plan.

Gaza Executive Board

To support of the Office of the High Representative and the technocratic committee, the White House established the Gaza Executive Board, with Minister Rashad named as a member.

The board is tasked and the delivery of best-in-class services that promote stability, peace, and prosperity for the people in Gaza, according to the White House.

Other members on the panel include Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, and Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands, who served as the United Nations senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza during the war.

The panel also includes senior Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, who is believed to had played a key role in mediation between Hamas and Israel during the war, and UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.

Cypriot-Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay is also a member, alongside Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, and Rowan, who are members of the founding Executive Board.

Second Phase of Gaza Deal

The formation of the BoP and the technocratic committee comes along the anticipated establishment of an international stabilization force (ISF), which is yet to be announced.

According to UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which approved Trump’s Gaza plan in November, the ISF will coordinate with Egypt and Israel and will cooperate with the newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force.

The multinational force will be responsible for several security tasks, including securing the borders, demilitarizing Gaza and destroying the existing military infrastructure.

This phase forms part of a transition period in Gaza “until such time as the Palestinian Authority (PA) has satisfactorily completed its reform program,” according to the resolution.