Hamas agrees to dissolve its Gaza government under a US-backed technocratic plan, but details remain unclear as post-ceasefire violence continues and a new oversight board forms.
Amid Violence, Hamas Pledges to Dissolve Government for New US Plan (Image: X)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, January 12 — Hamas announced it will dissolve its administrative government in Gaza once a new US-mandated Palestinian technocratic committee takes control, a tentative step in a fragile peace process. The group provided no timeline for the transfer, which hinges on unresolved details and unfolds amid ongoing lethal violence in the territory.
Authority is slated to transfer to a committee of politically unaffiliated Palestinian technocrats, as outlined in the US-brokered ceasefire plan. Neither Hamas nor the rival Palestinian Authority has announced the committee’s members, and it remains unclear if Israel and the US will approve them. A Hamas spokesperson called for expediting the committee's formation, with factional meetings planned for this week.
The “Board of Peace” is an international oversight body led by the US, tasked with monitoring the new government, overseeing Hamas’s disarmament, managing an international security force deployment, and coordinating Gaza’s reconstruction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov as its director-general. The full board membership is expected to be announced this week.
The ceasefire that began on October 10 remains technically in effect but is marred by violence. Palestinian hospital officials reported three Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire in separate incidents Sunday. The Israeli military stated it targeted “terrorists” who approached troops. Local health officials say over 400 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, which Israel argues are responses to violations.
An Egyptian official stated a Hamas delegation, led by negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, will meet with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish officials to discuss advancing to the second phase of the agreement. This phase involves further hostage and remains recovery, additional Israeli troop pullbacks, and the commencement of reconstruction under the board’s supervision.
Israeli police are questioning Prime Minister Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, regarding the alleged obstruction of an investigation into a 2024 leak of classified information to a German tabloid. A former Netanyahu aide claimed Braverman offered to “shut down” the probe. The incident has sparked calls to suspend Braverman’s upcoming appointment as ambassador to the UK.
A: The US plan mandates Hamas’s disarmament to be overseen by the “Board of Peace,” but no tangible progress has been reported. Hamas’s statement addressed only the dissolution of its civil administration, not its military wing.
A: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Israeli officials, expressed Japan’s willingness to play an active role, and visited the center monitoring the ceasefire implementation.
