Abbas Makes First Publicized Call to NCAG Chief Ali Shaath

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held his first publicized phone call Wednesday with Ali Shaath, the former PA deputy minister now chairing the U.S.-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Abbas phoned to convey condolences for the death of Shaath's uncle, and a source familiar with the exchange said the two also discussed political developments tied to Gaza's post-Hamas transition. The Palestinian Authority initially opposed the NCAG's creation, hoping Ramallah would be handed Gaza outright, and it has gradually agreed to cooperate while still seeking to replace the technocratic committee once its own reforms are completed. The call comes as Hamas moves through the symbolic dissolution of its Gaza Emergency Committee to open the way for NCAG governance under the second phase of President Donald Trump's peace plan.