Hana al-Tarazi - Social Affairs Commissioner and the only Palestinian woman on Gaza's NCAG : Shared by Fouad Kronfol

 

Who's the Sole Palestinian Woman in the US-Led Board of Peace?

Author: Arshi Qureshi

Publication: PassBlue

Date: February 11, 2026

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Summary:

Hana al-Tarazi, a Palestinian lawyer from Gaza, has been named social affairs commissioner on the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), making her the only woman on the 15-member technocratic body and the only Palestinian Christian. Al-Tarazi spent years representing women in Gaza's courts, handling personal-status disputes involving family law and Islamic jurisprudence, often advocating for mothers seeking custody, inheritance rights, or financial support. She studied law at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, becoming one of the first Christian women to enroll, and later became the first Christian woman in Gaza to argue cases in sharia courts.

The NCAG operates under the US-led Board of Peace, chaired by President Trump with lifetime veto power, and was established to administer Gaza's daily civilian life for approximately two million residents. Al-Tarazi's portfolio encompasses poverty relief, cash assistance, family reunification, disability services, shelters, and support for widows and orphans—populations devastated by the two-year war that has killed 72,000 Gazans. During the conflict, she was displaced from her home and continued working from shelter inside her church as Gaza's legal system collapsed and neighborhoods were destroyed.

The NCAG structure places Palestinians in administrative roles while decision-making power remains concentrated with the Board of Peace leadership. Israel has not yet allowed committee members to enter Gaza, raising questions about whether the body can genuinely govern from Cairo, where early meetings have been held. Al-Tarazi has been ordered by NCAG head Ali Shaath not to speak with media.

Quotes:

"The Palestinian law is a just law," al-Tarazi said in a 2019 interview, emphasizing that "citizenship, not religion, was the basis of legal equality."

"The Palestinian woman is the heart of resilience," she said in a message released around International Women's Day 2025, calling women "the voice of the voiceless" in a society that repeatedly demands their sacrifice.

"Gaza is not just a place of suffering," al-Tarazi has said, acknowledging a possible future for its civilians, especially for women.