The Palestinian militant group Hamas declared on Sunday its readiness to dissolve its existing administrative body in the Gaza Strip. This move is contingent upon a new, politically neutral technocratic leadership committee assuming control of the territory, a key stipulation of the peace initiative mediated by the United States.
Uncertain Transition and International Oversight
However, the group did not provide a specific timeline for this significant transition. Both Hamas and its political rival, the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, have yet to publicly name the members of the proposed technocratic committee. A major point of uncertainty is whether the proposed individuals will gain approval from both Israel and the US.
The peace framework envisions a "Board of Peace," an international body spearheaded by former US President Donald Trump, to supervise the new government and other critical aspects of the ceasefire that began on October 10. Its mandate includes overseeing the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of an international security force. The composition of this board's members is also pending announcement.
An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks, revealed that Hamas is dispatching a delegation for discussions with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish officials. The goal is to advance the process into its second phase. The delegation will be led by Hamas's senior negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya.
Violence Persists Amid Ceasefire Efforts
Despite the ceasefire agreement, violence has continued in Gaza. Palestinian hospital officials reported that Israeli gunfire killed three Palestinians on Sunday. Two men were shot dead in the southern town of Bani Suhaila, and another man was killed in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City.
In response to inquiries about the Tuffah incident, the Israeli military stated it had fired at and hit a "terrorist" in northern Gaza who had approached troops. It later issued another statement about a similar incident in southern Gaza. Both sides have traded accusations of violating the ceasefire terms. Local health officials state that continued Israeli strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire began have resulted in over 400 Palestinian deaths.
Political and Diplomatic Developments
On the diplomatic front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has been chosen as the Director-General of the proposed Board of Peace. Mladenov, a former Bulgarian defence and foreign minister, served as the UN's Middle East peace envoy from 2015 to 2020 and is known for his working relations with Israel.
Separately, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Jerusalem. Saar reiterated Israel's commitment to implementing the Trump plan, while Motegi expressed Japan's willingness to play an active role in supporting the ceasefire. Motegi also visited the Civil-Military Coordination Centre monitoring the truce.
In a related domestic scandal, Israeli police questioned a top official from Netanyahu's office on Sunday over the alleged obstruction of an investigation into a 2023 leak of classified military information to a German tabloid. Israeli media identified the official as Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu's chief of staff and the incoming ambassador to the United Kingdom. The scandal involves accusations that Netanyahu's inner circle leaked information to improve the prime minister's public image. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Braverman's suspension as ambassador, but Foreign Minister Saar defended the appointment.
