Hamas says it will dissolve its Gaza government when new Palestinian body takes over

Hamas and its rival, the Palestinian Authority - the internationally recognised representative of the Palestinian people - have yet to disclose the identities of the proposed technocrats, who are meant to remain unaffiliated with any political group. It is still uncertain whether these figures will receive approval from Israel and the United States. At the same time, questions remain over international scrutiny of Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank, where the United Nations has levelled serious accusations.

An international mechanism known as the “Board of Peace,” led by former U.S. president Donald Trump, is expected to supervise the interim administration and oversee key elements of the ceasefire that came into force on October 10. Its mandate includes the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of an international security force, though the names of its members have not yet been made public. Even after the ceasefire, violence has continued in Gaza, with Palestinian hospital officials reporting that Israeli gunfire killed three people.

The truce began with a pause in hostilities and a deal that saw hostages held in Gaza released in exchange for thousands of Palestinians detained by Israel. The agreement remains in its initial phase, with negotiations ongoing to recover the remains of the final hostage still believed to be in Gaza. An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks, said Hamas was dispatching a delegation to discussions with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish representatives on moving to the next stage. In a message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday (January 11, 2026), Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem urged that the formation of the technocratic committee be accelerated.

According to the same Egyptian official, Hamas is also expected to meet other Palestinian factions this week to finalise the committee’s structure. The delegation will be led by senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. Mr. Trump has said the Board of Peace will supervise the committee while managing Hamas’s disarmament, the introduction of an international security presence, further Israeli troop withdrawals and Gaza’s reconstruction. U.S. officials have acknowledged limited progress on these issues so far, although the board’s membership is expected to be announced soon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday (January 8, 2026) that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov had been chosen as the board’s director-general. Mladenov previously served as Bulgaria’s defence and foreign minister and later as the U.N.’s Middle East peace envoy from 2015 to 2020, a period during which he maintained working ties with Israel and frequently sought to ease tensions between Israel and Hamas.

On Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi in Jerusalem. Mr. Saar reiterated Israel’s commitment to implementing Mr. Trump’s plan, while Mr. Motegi said Japan was prepared to take an active role in supporting the ceasefire. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Mr. Motegi visited the Civil-Military Coordination Center overseeing the truce and was scheduled to meet Mr. Netanyahu as well as Palestinian officials in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Despite the ceasefire, fatal incidents continued in Gaza. Nasser Hospital reported receiving the bodies of two men shot dead in the southern town of Bani Suhaila, while Al-Ahly hospital said a man was killed earlier in the Tuffah area of Gaza City. Responding to queries about the Tuffah incident, Israel’s military said its forces fired on and killed a “terrorist” who approached troops in northern Gaza. It later said another “terrorist” was killed after approaching soldiers in the south. Israel and Hamas have both accused each other of breaching the ceasefire, with local health officials saying continued Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 Palestinians since the truce began. The Israeli military has insisted its actions were responses to violations of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Israeli police said on Sunday that they were questioning a senior official from Mr. Netanyahu’s office over allegations of obstructing an investigation into the leak of classified military information last year to a German tabloid. Israeli media identified the official as Tzachi Braverman, the prime minister’s chief of staff and the designated next ambassador to the United Kingdom. The case centres on accusations that figures close to Mr. Netanyahu leaked sensitive information to the newspaper Bild to bolster the prime minister’s public image after six hostages were killed in Gaza in 2024.

The latest development follows a televised interview with Kan News in which former Netanyahu spokesperson Eli Feldstein described a secret late-night meeting with Braverman in an underground parking lot linked to the leak. Feldstein, who has been indicted, claimed Braverman offered to halt the investigation. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Braverman’s immediate suspension as ambassador, saying it was unacceptable for someone suspected of interfering in a serious security probe to represent Israel abroad. Mr. Saar, however, defended Braverman’s appointment, stating that he would remain in the role unless formally charged or put on trial.