CAIRO (AP) — Hamas said Sunday it will dissolve its existing government in Gaza once a technocratic Palestinian leadership committee takes over the territory, as mandated under the U.S.-brokered peace plan. But the group did not provide details on when the change would take place.
Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinians, have not announced the names of the technocrats, who are not supposed to be politically affiliated, and it remains unclear whether they will be authorized by Israel and the US.
The “Peace Council,” an international body headed by Trump, is supposed to oversee the government and other aspects of the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, including the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of an international security force. Board members have not been notified.
Meanwhile, the post-ceasefire death toll continued to rise in Gaza, with Israeli gunfire killing three Palestinians, according to Palestinian hospital officials.
The ceasefire began with a halt to fighting and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinians held by Israel. The deal is still in its early stages as efforts continue to recover the remains of the last remaining hostage in Gaza.
An Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information behind closed doors, said Hamas was sending a delegation to talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish officials about moving to the second phase.
The future governance of Gaza in change
In comments posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, Hazem Kassem, a Hamas spokesman, called for the establishment of the technocratic committee to be expedited.
The Egyptian official said Hamas would meet with other Palestinian factions this week to finalize the formation of the committee. The Hamas delegation will be led by top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, the official said.
Trump said the “Peace Council” would monitor the committee and deal with the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international security force, further withdrawals of Israeli troops and the reconstruction of Gaza. The US has reported little progress on either front, although board members are expected to be announced this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov had been elected director general of the council. Mladenov is a former Bulgarian defense and foreign minister who served as the UN representative in Iraq before being appointed as the UN Middle East peace envoy from 2015 to 2020. During that time, he had a good working relationship with Israel and frequently worked to ease Israel-Hamas tensions.
Also on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met in Jerusalem with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Saar said Israel was committed to implementing Trump’s plan, while Motegi expressed Japan’s willingness to play an active role in the ceasefire.
According to Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Motegi visited the Civil-Military Coordination Center, where the ceasefire is being monitored. He was also scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and Palestinian officials in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Violence in Gaza continues
In Gaza, two men were shot dead in the southern town of Bani Suhaila, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Earlier on Sunday, a man was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, according to Al-Ahly Hospital, which received the body.
In response to questions about the Tuffah incident, the Israeli military said it fired and hit a “terrorist” from northern Gaza who approached the troops. In a later statement, the army said it had killed a “terrorist” in southern Gaza who approached troops.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Ongoing Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 400 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
The Israeli military says any actions since the ceasefire began were in response to violations of the agreement.
Israeli police detain a high-ranking official
Israeli police said on Sunday they were questioning a senior official in Netanyahu’s office over possible obstruction of an investigation into last year’s leak of classified military information to a German tabloid.
Israeli media identified the official as Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu’s chief of staff, who is expected to become the next ambassador to the United Kingdom in the coming months.
He is the latest official to be embroiled in the scandal, in which Netanyahu’s inner circle is accused of leaking confidential information to German tabloid Bild to improve public perception of the prime minister after the killing of six hostages in Gaza in 2024.
It comes after an explosive Kan News interview with former Netanyahu spokesman Eli Feldstein, who described a clandestine meeting with Braverman in an underground parking lot in the middle of the night about the leak. Feldstein, who was indicted, said Braverman offered to “shut down” the leak investigation.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid immediately called for Braverman’s suspension as ambassador. “It is unacceptable for a person suspected of involvement in the obstruction of a serious security investigation to be the face of Israel in one of the most important countries in Europe,” Lapid wrote on X.
In response, Saar defended Braverman’s appointment and said he would not be removed from it until he was formally charged or tried.
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Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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This version corrects it by saying that the six hostages were killed in 2024.
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Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war