JAKARTA - A senior Hamas official on Thursday welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help strengthen the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting.
Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee that will operate under the overall supervision of the so-called "Peace Council," which will be headed by US President Donald Trump.
"The formation of this committee is a step in the right direction," said Bassem Naim, one of the group's senior figures, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (15/1).
"This is very important to strengthen the ceasefire, prevent the return of war, overcome the devastating humanitarian crisis, and prepare for comprehensive reconstruction," he said.
Hamas is known to have exercised full control over public life in Gaza since 2007. Along with the latest conflict that broke out on October 7, 2023, Hamas has repeatedly stated that it does not want a role in the future government in Gaza, limiting its involvement to monitoring governance.
Naim said Hamas was ready to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a national transitional committee and facilitate its work.
"Now the ball is in the hands of the mediators, the American guarantors, and the international community to empower the committee," he explained.
Naim also urged them to fight what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to "hamper or obstruct" the next stage of the ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, Gaza has been divided by the so-called "Yellow Line," which marks the border between the area controlled by Hamas and the area under the authority of the Israeli military.
Previously, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday, the ceasefire had entered its second phase.
Key elements of the second phase include a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, demilitarization of the area including the disarmament of Hamas, and measures to address the humanitarian crisis through accelerated aid delivery and reconstruction.
The US-proposed peace council is expected to be led on the ground by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov, who has recently held talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Mladenov previously served as the UN envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 to late 2020.
Media reports say Trump is expected to announce the members of the Peace Council in the coming days, with the council expected to include around 15 world leaders.
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