Israel Rejects Gaza Committee Logo Resembling Palestinian Authority Emblem

Israel last night rejected a newly unveiled logo by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), after the technocratic body replaced its emblem with one nearly identical to that of the Palestinian Authority. Israeli officials said the move crossed a clear red line and amounted to an unacceptable assertion of institutional authority in postwar Gaza.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the logo that appeared on the committee’s social media channels was not the emblem previously presented to Israel during coordination. The public release of a different symbol, officials said, was a unilateral step Israel could not accept.

Israeli officials treat official symbols, insignia, and flags as declarations of authority rather than cosmetic branding. From Israel’s perspective, adopting the Palestinian Authority’s emblem signals political continuity with the Palestinian Authority itself, precisely what Israel has sought to prevent in Gaza after the war.

The visual similarities are striking. The new NCAG logo mirrors the Palestinian Authority emblem in nearly every detail: a golden eagle facing to the right, a Palestinian flag emblazoned on its chest, and the same overall composition and color scheme. The only difference is the shield beneath the eagle, which in the NCAG version bears the committee’s acronym rather than the word “Palestine.”

When the committee was established last month, it used a different insignia altogether, with a stylized bird rendered in the colors of the Palestinian flag. Israeli officials pointed to the shift from that neutral emblem to a near-duplicate of the PA symbol as a deliberate escalation rather than a design tweak.

Original NCAG Logo

In a statement released shortly before midnight, the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “The logo of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) that was presented to Israel was entirely different from the one published this evening. Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol, and the Palestinian Authority will not be a partner in the administration of Gaza.”

The NCAG is a 15-member technocratic committee formed last month to manage Gaza’s day-to-day civil affairs in the aftermath of the conflict, replacing administrative functions previously handled by Hamas. The panel is led by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister. While the committee is described as non-political, many of its members have past ties to the Palestinian Authority, even if they are not currently serving PA officials. The committee operates under the supervision of the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, chaired by Donald Trump, as part of the broader framework for postwar governance in Gaza.

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed that “after Gaza there will be no Hamas and no Palestinian Authority.” Still, Israel has acknowledged a narrow exception and allowed PA representatives to participate in the operational mechanism at the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Israeli officials have stressed that this role is limited and technical, and does not confer governing authority.

The NCAG has not publicly explained the logo change or responded to Israel’s objections. According to U.S. and Arab diplomatic sources, committee members are aiming to enter Gaza via Rafah next week.