New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- Hamas and its rival, the Palestinian Authority - the internationally recognised representative of the Palestinians - have yet to reveal the names of the proposed technocrats meant to run the interim administration. These figures are expected to be non-partisan, but it is still uncertain whether Israel and the United States will approve their appointments. An international mechanism known as the "Board of Peace," to be led by former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to supervise the new governing arrangement and other elements of the ceasefire that came into force on October 10. Its mandate includes overseeing Hamas's disarmament and the deployment of an international security force. The members of the board have not yet been publicly named. Even as the ceasefire holds, fatalities have continued to mount in Gaza. Palestinian hospital authorities said Israeli gunfire killed three people after the truce began.
The agreement initially paused hostilities and facilitated the release of hostages held in Gaza in return for thousands of Palestinians detained by Israel. The deal remains in its first phase, with efforts ongoing to retrieve the remains of the last hostage still believed to be in Gaza. An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks, said Hamas was preparing to send a delegation to discussions with officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey on advancing to the second phase of the agreement. In a message posted on Telegram on Sunday (January 11, 2026), Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem urged that the formation of the technocratic committee be expedited. According to the Egyptian official, Hamas is also scheduled to meet other Palestinian factions this week to finalise the committee's structure. The delegation will be led by senior Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. Mr. Trump has said the Board of Peace will oversee the committee and be responsible for Hamas's disarmament, the deployment of an international security force, further Israeli troop withdrawals and the reconstruction of Gaza. U.S. officials have acknowledged limited progress so far, though the board's members are expected to be announced soon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday (January 8, 2026) that Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has been chosen as the board's director-general. Mladenov previously served as Bulgaria's defence and foreign minister, was a former U.N. envoy to Iraq, and held the role of U.N. Middle East peace envoy from 2015 to 2020. During that period, he maintained working relations with Israel and was frequently involved in efforts to defuse tensions between Israel and Hamas.
On Sunday (January 11, 2026), Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Jerusalem. Mr. Saar said Israel remained committed to implementing Mr. Trump's plan, while Mr. Motegi indicated Japan's readiness to take an active role in supporting the ceasefire. Japan's Foreign Ministry said Mr. Motegi visited the Civil-Military Coordination Center responsible for monitoring the ceasefire. He was also expected to meet Mr. Netanyahu and Palestinian officials in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, in Gaza, hospital officials reported that two men were killed by gunfire in the southern town of Bani Suhaila, while another man was shot dead earlier in the Tuffah area of Gaza City. Responding to questions about the Tuffah shooting, the Israeli military said its forces had fired on and struck a "terrorist" who approached troops in northern Gaza. In a subsequent statement, it said another "terrorist" had been killed after approaching soldiers in southern Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire. Local health officials say more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began. The Israeli military maintains that any action taken since the ceasefire came into effect has been in response to violations of the agreement. Separately, Israeli police said on Sunday (January 11, 2026) that they were questioning a senior official from Mr. Netanyahu's office over suspected attempts to obstruct an investigation into the leak of classified military information to a German tabloid last year. Israeli media identified the official as Tzachi Braverman, Mr. Netanyahu's chief of staff, who is slated to assume the post of ambassador to the United Kingdom in the coming months.
The case centres on allegations that members of Mr. Netanyahu's inner circle leaked sensitive information to the German newspaper Bild to bolster the prime minister's public standing after six hostages were killed in Gaza in 2024. The investigation intensified following 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 garage related to the leak. Mr. Feldstein, who has been charged in the case, claimed Braverman offered to halt the investigation. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Braverman's immediate suspension as ambassador. Writing on X, Lapid said it was unacceptable for someone suspected of interfering in a serious national security probe to represent Israel in one of Europe's most important countries. Mr. Saar, however, defended Braverman's appointment, saying he would remain in the role unless formally charged or put on trial.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.