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Bahbah Says ‘Board of Peace’ to be Announced Tuesday, ‘Gaza Committee’ to Follow

Bishara Bahbah stands between US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance (Bahbah’s X account)
Bishara Bahbah stands between US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance (Bahbah’s X account)
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Bahbah Says ‘Board of Peace’ to be Announced Tuesday, ‘Gaza Committee’ to Follow

Bishara Bahbah stands between US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance (Bahbah’s X account)
Bishara Bahbah stands between US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance (Bahbah’s X account)

The head of Arab Americans for Peace and a mediator on Gaza, Bishara Bahbah, said on Saturday that information he has received indicates US President Donald Trump will announce a “Board of Peace” overseeing a transitional administration for the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Jan. 13, followed a day or two later by the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee during meetings in Cairo.

Bahbah, an American of Palestinian origin, told Asharq Al-Awsat that several countries from the Arab world will participate in the Board of Peace, including Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

He said the names of the technocratic committee faced Israeli objections, but a consensus was reached during visits by the nominee for director of the Board of Peace in Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, to Israel and Ramallah on Thursday and Friday.

He added that he spoke on Thursday with Hamas leaders, who told him there are still no negotiations over the “disarmament” clause included in the ceasefire agreement that entered into force on Oct. 10, an issue on which Washington and Israel insist.

A Palestinian source had earlier told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo would host a Hamas delegation this week to advance the Gaza agreement.

Asked whether the announcement of the Board of Peace and the Gaza administration committee is imminent, Bahbah said the announcement will take place this week and that Cairo will host meetings of Palestinian factions to agree on the administration of Gaza.

He said it is expected that the Board of Peace will be announced on Jan. 13, followed a day or two later by a meeting of Palestinian factions in Cairo, during which the names of the technocratic committee to manage Gaza’s affairs will be announced.

Regarding whether the US president will make the announcement, Bahbah stated that the information he has received indicates that Trump will announce the names of the Board of Peace members on Jan. 13, adding that he is not aware of the exact reason for choosing that date.

Regarding the most prominent names on the Gaza administration committee, Bahbah stated that the names are not yet precisely known, but the candidates are individuals from Gaza, whether currently residing there or of Gazan origin.

Regarding the countries forming the Board of Peace, Bahbah said they include the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt.

He added that there is discussion about possibly adding the head of the International Monetary Fund, the president of the World Bank, and another figure who heads an international institution to the board, noting that representation would be at the level of heads of state or heads of government, such as Britain’s Keir Starmer and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.

Bahbah said the Board of Peace is expected to convene on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos in the third week of this month.

On the future of Hamas and whether it would exit the scene, Bahbah said the central issue lies in Israel and the United States demanding Hamas’ disarmament, adding that there is currently no mechanism or negotiations on the matter.

He said he contacted Hamas leaders on Thursday, who confirmed that no dialogue or negotiations have taken place with them by any party regarding disarmament, while the US side told him it is working on the issue.

He said the step is likely to be postponed or implemented gradually, as it would not happen overnight, especially since the movement would not accept disarmament without clear guarantees.

He said previous guarantees provided in the first phase failed, with about 1,100 ceasefire violations recorded, more than 400 people killed, and over 1,000 injured over the past three months, questioning how Hamas could agree to hand over its weapons without guarantees preventing Israeli violations of the agreement and attacks.

On Israel’s acceptance of the proposed steps, Bahbah said there is consensus on the Board of Peace and the technocratic committee, noting that the names were sent to the Israeli side, which approved some and rejected others.

He said the final list of the committee is expected to be prepared this week with the approval of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States, adding that the names and mechanisms have changed, and an agreement has been reached with Israel.

Bahbah also said that Mladenov, the candidate chosen for director of the Board of Peace in Gaza, discussed the formation of the committee during a meeting on Friday with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

He said the Palestinian Authority insists that no committee will be allowed to be formed except at its invitation, as it considers itself the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

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Arab World

Somalia Capital Rocked by Gunfire and Fighting Overnight

Heavy gunfire shook Somalia's capital overnight and smoke rose over the city on Thursday. AFP
Heavy gunfire shook Somalia's capital overnight and smoke rose over the city on Thursday. AFP
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Somalia Capital Rocked by Gunfire and Fighting Overnight

Heavy gunfire shook Somalia's capital overnight and smoke rose over the city on Thursday. AFP
Heavy gunfire shook Somalia's capital overnight and smoke rose over the city on Thursday. AFP

Heavy gunfire rocked Somalia's capital overnight, with smoke rising over the city and armed forces deployed on the streets on Thursday, AFP journalists reported, after clashes erupted between rival political factions ahead of planned protests.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud plunged Somalia into a fresh political crisis in mid-May after announcing a one-year extension of his term, which had been due to expire on May 15.

The opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move and demonstrations against it were due to take place in Mogadishu on Thursday.

But as opposition leaders came to the city ahead of the protests on Wednesday, clashes broke out and continued sporadically through the night, according to AFP journalists and witnesses in the area.

"We did not sleep throughout the night because of sporadic gunfire," said Xalimo Salad, a resident of Mogadishu's Howl Wadaag district adding that "more intense gunfight broke out" on Thursday morning.

"We have seen federal government forces deploying reinforcements," he said.

Police said they were conducting a "large-scale security operation" against "heavily armed militias who launched mortar attacks on some neighborhoods of the capital".

Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire said he had been attacked by government forces on Wednesday after relocating from his base in the heavily fortified green zone around the airport to his city residence, in order to take part in the protests.

In a post on social media on Thursday he said the president's forces had "directed a sustained and indiscriminate military assault with the apparent objective of killing me".

There was no immediate word on casualties as of Thursday morning, and by 9:30 am the fighting had subsided as the government and opposition entered negotiations, according to sources.

A security analyst, who asked not to be named, confirmed to AFP the violence had spread since last night and had "escalated this morning".

"Mortars and heavy caliber weapons being used, civilian casualties in some areas," he said.

International observers have expressed concern, with the US embassy in Mogadishu calling the violence "reckless" and urging dialogue.

A joint statement from the EU and UN missions and British embassy said the clashes were "deeply concerning".

- Overnight violence -

Late Wednesday, an AFP journalist filmed panicked residents in the Howl Wadaag district near his home, with loud gunshots heard in the background.

Witnesses told AFP they saw armed opposition forces clashing with Somali police.

Gunfire was also reported near the residence of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, close to the popular Lido Beach area, according to witnesses.

The president has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders.

Mohamud argues he was given an extra year in the presidency when a new constitution was passed by parliament in March that set the framework for polls.

But with the country deeply divided between rival clans, and much of it under the control of insurgent group Al-Shabaab, there has been little progress on organizing elections beyond a few localized pockets.

Opposition and regional leaders have strongly opposed Mohamud's plan, seeing it as an attempt to centralize power.

Arab World

Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Deal: Complete Cessation of Hezbollah Attacks, Creation of Pilot Zones

(L/R) Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh attend a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
(L/R) Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh attend a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
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Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Deal: Complete Cessation of Hezbollah Attacks, Creation of Pilot Zones

(L/R) Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh attend a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
(L/R) Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh attend a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)

Israel and Lebanon on Wednesday agreed to a new ceasefire following talks mediated by the United States. Under the agreement, Hezbollah is to stop all attacks on Israel and withdraw its fighters from the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

In a joint statement, the US, Israel and Lebanon said “the ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector.”

Israel and Lebanon agreed with US guidance “to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones” in which the Lebanese army “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.”

“These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” the statement said, adding that both sides “rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.”

Hezbollah has yet to comment on the ceasefire. Before it was announced, the group said it had conducted two drone and rocket attacks on Israeli troops inside Lebanon that it said took place just after midnight local time on Wednesday.

In their statement, “Israel and Lebanon reaffirmed that they have no hostile intent toward one another and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.”

The US reaffirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments, brokered by Washington, and not through any separate track.

As for Israel, it said that its security and respect for its territorial integrity can only be achieved through Hezbollah’s disarmament and the dismantlement of its infrastructure across Lebanon.

In the statement, “Lebanon reaffirmed the necessity for mutual respect of internationally recognized borders, the urgent need for full implementation of the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty.”

It stressed commitment to enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese army, with US support, to assert effective control across the country. 

Arab World

Netanyahu Faces Plunging Support in North Israel as Voters Demand Tougher Lebanon Stance

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. (Reuters)
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Netanyahu Faces Plunging Support in North Israel as Voters Demand Tougher Lebanon Stance

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces plunging support in the electorally vital north where Hezbollah rocket fire has been heaviest, a new poll has shown, putting pressure on him to take a more hawkish stance as elections loom. Wednesday night's ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon - whether it holds or not - may not be what northern voters have in mind.

The May poll by Agam Labs at Israel's Hebrew University, shared exclusively with Reuters, showed residents in the north abandoning Netanyahu's Likud more quickly than voters elsewhere and faulting him more harshly over the war in Lebanon. With Iran demanding an end to Israel's military campaign as part of any peace deal it agrees with the United States, the poll shows how Netanyahu is increasingly caught between domestic electoral considerations and the diplomatic efforts of his allies in Washington.

NORTHERN VOTERS WANT END TO HEZBOLLAH THREAT

The general election due by October could tip Netanyahu's governing coalition from power, risking his long record as Israel's arch political survivor.

While his government is widely seen as the most right-wing in Israeli history, many northern voters want a tougher military stance, unfettered by US pressure to end the conflicts in the Middle East.

For residents of ‌the northern city ‌of Kiryat Shmona, where some half of voters backed Likud in the last election, ending the threat from ‌Hezbollah and ⁠its near-daily rocket ⁠and drone attacks is the biggest issue.

When sirens start to wail, they have only seconds to seek shelter and voters there told Reuters they want the war against Hezbollah pursued until the group is dismantled.

"All night there are loud explosions," said Kiryat Shmona resident Moshe Yifrah, 45, adding that he does not believe a ceasefire with Hezbollah would protect his family. "Who would we make it with? Murderers who want to kill us?" he said.

Hezbollah began firing into Israel after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and Israel waged an intense armed campaign in Lebanon, killing most of the group's leaders and forcing it to accept a ceasefire.

However, Hezbollah fired again after Israel and the United States launched a war on Iran on February 28, prompting Israel to renew its assault and seize swathes of ⁠south Lebanon.

More than 50 civilians have been killed by Hezbollah fire in north Israel since October 2023, according ‌to Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies.

In Lebanon, more than 7,500 people have been ‌killed by Israeli military action since October 2023, statements by Lebanese officials that do not distinguish between civilians and combatants show.

Many northern voters, like Yifrah, want Israel to ‌intensify its campaign, which continued despite an April truce, but believe Netanyahu is buckling to pressure from US President Donald Trump to agree a ceasefire.

"I'm ‌not ashamed to say that I voted for this government, but it turns out that the one managing it is President Trump," said Yifrah.

Trump, who wants a deal with Iran, said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to de-escalate hours after Netanyahu ordered new strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs. Netanyahu's electoral rivals almost immediately accused him of compromising on national security - adding to his political difficulties months before the election is due.

"Everywhere Hezbollah is deployed it must be struck and the hands of the Israeli army should not be tied," said former military chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot, a prime ministerial hopeful, in a speech on Monday. Then on Wednesday evening, a new truce agreement was struck requiring Hezbollah to leave south ⁠Lebanon. Netanyahu said soon afterwards that despite ⁠the ceasefire military operations would continue for now.

ELECTION RIVALS TARGET NORTH

The Agam Labs poll showed only 23% of voters in the north saying they would back Likud in the next election, down from the 35% it gained in the last election in 2022. Support for the wider right-wing bloc that makes up Netanyahu's coalition has fallen yet further in the north, the poll showed.

The drop in support for Likud is around three times greater in the north, home to around a fifth of the electorate, than elsewhere in Israel and around 70% of the voters surveyed there said they disapproved of the handling of the war in Lebanon - more than elsewhere in Israel.

"We see a dramatic shift," said Nimrod Nir of Agam Labs.

"It's almost a mirror image of what we saw regarding the past elections, with two thirds intending to vote for the anti-Netanyahu bloc," he added.

The chairperson of Kiryat Shmona's Likud branch did not respond to a request for comment on the party's reduced support in polls or agree to an interview.

Nestled amid lush green mountains, Kiryat Shmona had been a prosperous center of tourism and farming, but residents now describe it as a ghost town with many residents having left.

Shops were shuttered, and a playground was empty during a Reuters visit this week.

Netanyahu's main rivals are trying a hawkish message in the north, with Eizenkot visiting more than 15 times in recent weeks. Netanyahu has stayed away.

"He should come visit," said Yisrael Cohen, 40, who previously backed Likud but will not in the next election. "The government needs to see us."