Hamas
A senior Hamas delegation led by West Bank chief Zaher Jabarin arrived in Cairo Tuesday to execute the final stages of the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement, officials announced.
Egypt and Turkey have unified their intelligence tracks to push for a comprehensive regional settlement, convening a high-level summit with top Hamas leaders.
The EU said on Friday it had imposed sanctions on 10 members of Hamas’ Politburo, freezing their assets, imposing travel bans, and banning the provision of funds or economic resources to them directly or indirectly.
Hamas has renewed its call for the immediate empowerment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, also known as the technocratic committee, by allowing it to enter the Gaza Strip, assume its full responsibilities, and receive all necessary resources to carry out its work.
Nickolay Mladenov, the senior diplomat overseeing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, accused Hamas of obstructing the ceasefire agreement by refusing to surrender its weapons, a key condition outlined in the peace plan discussed on multiple occasions.
The comments were made one day after a meeting took place between a Hamas delegation and Egyptian mediators in Cairo.
Hamas said in a statement that the delegation will hold talks with “the Egyptian leadership” and has already started meetings with Gaza peace mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Hamas affirmed Wednesday its readiness to transfer governance of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian technocratic committee, while demanding the reopening of the Rafah crossing without Israeli interference.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Friday that the Rafah crossing must be opened from both sides to complete the final stages of ending the war in Gaza.
The board, to be chaired by Trump, would oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and supervise a future Palestinian technocratic administration, with invitations sent to key countries to participate.
In a televised address on Monday, the movement’s newly appointed spokesperson also confirmed the killing of the Chief of Staff of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Al-Sinwar, also known as “Abu Ibrahim.”
Israel on Thursday confirmed that the remains transferred by Hamas a day earlier belong to Thai farm worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
Trump signed an executive order instructing the secretaries of state and treasury to deliver a joint report on this matter within 30 days, according to a White House fact sheet.
Israeli authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the deceased, but reports indicate that it is Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza war.
Israel’s forensics authority will carry out tests to verify the identity of the individual, Netanyahu’s office said.
The Israeli airstrikes across Gaza overnight killed at least 60 Palestinians, including many children, according to local hospital officials.
Recovering the bodies of captives taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attacks is a key component of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect earlier this month, mediated by Egypt, the United States, Qatar, and Turkey.
Senior Hamas official Husam Badran affirmed the movement’s serious commitment to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, highlighting a broad consensus among Palestinian factions on a shared vision to implement the deal.
“No Palestinian faction alone can meet the needs of Palestinians alone,” Badran stressed.
Hamas delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya met on Thursday with Fatah delegation headed by Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh and Palestinian Intelligence Chief Majed Faraj in Egypt, according to al Qahera news channel
