Israel rejects use of PA's logo for Gaza committee

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol as the logo of the technocratic committee tasked with overseeing Gaza's affairs under Washington's peace plan.

In a statement published by the Israeli Prime Minister's office on Feb 3, it said the logo of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, which was presented to Israel "was entirely different from the one published this evening".

"Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza," the statement said.

The NCAG, which was established as part of the conditions of the US administration's peace plan, would be supervised by the "Board of Peace", chaired by President Donald Trump.

The 15-member panel is headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath.

On Sunday, a committee member of the NCAG said that "technical issues" have been preventing their group from entering Gaza through Rafah crossing. Aed Yaghi, a member of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, told Xinhua that the group remains in Cairo due to unspecified "technical problems and obstacles".

Though the NCAG has yet to comment on Israel's latest statements, Shaath, in a post on X on Feb 3, spoke about the "loss of life" over the past few days, which he described as "painful and heartbreaking".

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones," said Shaath. "We call for an immediate commitment to the ceasefire — our people in Gaza have paid a heavy price, and they deserve a dignified life in peace and security."

"The National Committee for Gaza Management reaffirms its commitment — alongside its partners — to prevent further such tragic incidents and to protect civilians," Shaath said. "The path forward must be based on self-restraint, accountability, and full respect for civilian lives."

Meanwhile, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said that WHO and its partners supported the medical evacuation of five patients and seven companions to Egypt via the Rafah Crossing on Feb 2, the "first medical evacuation through this route since mid-March 2025".

"WHO's role focused on ensuring the safe transfer of patients from Gaza to the Rafah Crossing," Ghebreyesus said. "After two years of conflict, Gaza's health system urgently needs rehabilitation and rebuilding to reduce reliance on medical evacuations. This is now the top priority."

"A rapid scale-up of health services is required inside Gaza, including increased medical supplies, rehabilitation of damaged facilities, and expansion of critical services to build a resilient and sustainable health system," Ghebreyesus added. "To expedite access to life-saving care, WHO continues to call for the immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem."

Further, the WHO chief said he urges more countries "to demonstrate solidarity by accepting patients in need of specialized care not available in Gaza, to save lives".

"More than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized medical care that is unavailable inside the Strip," he said.

jan@chinadailyapac.com