A senior Hamas official has welcomed the formation of a technocratic committee to govern post-war Gaza, saying it would help consolidate the ceasefire and prevent a return to fighting.
"The formation of the committee is a step in the right direction," said Bassem Naim, a senior leader in the Palestinian Islamist movement.
"This is crucial for consolidating the ceasefire, preventing a return to war, addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis and preparing for comprehensive reconstruction," he said.
Hamas has exercised total control over public life in Gaza since 2007, and it was its October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.
It has repeatedly said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in Gaza and would limit its involvement to monitoring governance.
Mr Naim said Hamas was ready to hand over administration of Gaza to the national transitional committee and to facilitate its work.
"The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee," he said.
He urged them to counter what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to "stall or obstruct" the next stages of the ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025, Gaza has been split by a so-called "Yellow Line", marking the boundary between territory controlled by Hamas and areas under Israeli military authority.
Washington's top envoy, Steve Witkoff, said yesterday that the ceasefire had moved into its second stage.
Key elements of the second stage include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the demilitarisation of the territory including the disarmament of Hamas, and steps to address the humanitarian crisis through accelerated aid deliveries and reconstruction.
The US-proposed Board of Peace 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.
Mr Mladenov previously served as the United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020.
Media reports say Mr Trump is expected to announce the members of the Board of Peace in the coming days, with the body set to include around 15 world leaders.
