Egypt Says All Parties Agree on Gaza Technocratic Committee Members

A handout photo made available by Egyptian State Press Office shows Egyptian authorities holding talks with a Hamas delegation and representatives of various Palestinian factions, in Cairo, Egypt, 14 January 2026, to select a technical committee for Gaza. (EPA/Egyptian State Press Office)
A handout photo made available by Egyptian State Press Office shows Egyptian authorities holding talks with a Hamas delegation and representatives of various Palestinian factions, in Cairo, Egypt, 14 January 2026, to select a technical committee for Gaza. (EPA/Egyptian State Press Office)
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Egypt Says All Parties Agree on Gaza Technocratic Committee Members

A handout photo made available by Egyptian State Press Office shows Egyptian authorities holding talks with a Hamas delegation and representatives of various Palestinian factions, in Cairo, Egypt, 14 January 2026, to select a technical committee for Gaza. (EPA/Egyptian State Press Office)
A handout photo made available by Egyptian State Press Office shows Egyptian authorities holding talks with a Hamas delegation and representatives of various Palestinian factions, in Cairo, Egypt, 14 January 2026, to select a technical committee for Gaza. (EPA/Egyptian State Press Office)

Egypt said Wednesday that all the members of a 15-person Palestinian technocratic committee meant to administer post-war Gaza had been agreed upon by all Palestinian factions, who swiftly offered their support. 

Under a 20-point Gaza truce plan brokered by US President Donald Trump in October, the Palestinian territory would be governed by the committee operating under the supervision of a so-called "Board of Peace", to be chaired by Trump himself. 

Hamas officials said earlier in the day that the group had opened talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on the committee, which forms part of Trump's truce plan for Gaza. 

"We hope that following this agreement, the committee will be announced soon... and will then be deployed to the Gaza Strip to manage daily life and essential services," Abdelatty said. 

The majority of the Palestinian factions offered their support to the committee after Abdelatty's announcement. 

In a statement, the factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they had agreed "to support the mediators' efforts in forming the Palestinian National Transitional Committee to administer the Gaza Strip, while providing the appropriate environment" for it to begin its work. 

The Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency also announced its support in official media, with a source from the office telling AFP the statement "reflects the position of the Fatah movement because President (Mahmoud) Abbas is also the head of Fatah". 

The Cairo meeting aimed to address the formation of the committee and its operational mechanisms, a senior Hamas official had previously told AFP on condition of anonymity. 

- Potential committee heads - 

Separately, the Hamas delegation was also to hold talks in Cairo with leaders of other Palestinian factions on "political, national and field developments" and the state of the Gaza ceasefire, the official added. 

Hamas has repeatedly said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in the Palestinian territory and would limit its role to monitoring governance to ensure stability and facilitate reconstruction. 

Talks with Egyptian mediators were also focused on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reopening of the Rafah crossing, the entry of aid currently stockpiled on the Egyptian side of the border, and preparations for launching the second phase of the ceasefire plan, the official said. 

Abdelatty did not name any of the agreed-upon committee members. 

But two names circulating as potential heads were Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister of planning in the Palestinian Authority, and Majed Abu Ramadan, the current minister of health, the second official said. 

The Trump 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. 

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 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. 



Bashir Moved to Khartoum Hospital amid Reports He Will Be Flown Abroad

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
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Bashir Moved to Khartoum Hospital amid Reports He Will Be Flown Abroad

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)

Sudanese former President Omar al-Bashir, 80, has been transferred from the northern city of Merowe to a hospital in the capital Khartoum for continued treatment and tests after he developed symptoms of an “unknown” medical case.

His lawyer, Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that his client was transferred to Khartoum two weeks ago for routine medical examinations, confirming that "there is no change in his health status."

However, he noted the emergence of certain symptoms of "unknown cause," which may require travel abroad to undergo testing using advanced medical equipment.

El-Amin declined to provide further details about Bashir’s condition.

However, he noted that the former president suffers from recurrent low blood pressure and infections, adding: "This is all we can disclose at this stage."

On reports about the Sudanese authorities approving Bashir's travel abroad, El-Amin stated: "There is no official decision so far."

However, he revealed that certain government officials expressed no objection.

"This request was raised more than a year ago, but no progress has been made in its implementation," he added.

Bashir's lawyer Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

El-Amin confirmed that the same official authorities facilitated the travel of the former Vice President, Bakri Hassan Saleh, to the Turkish capital, Ankara, for medical treatment, revealing for the first time his presence outside the country.

The International Criminal Court has accused Bashir of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region during his rule. He was also convicted on charges of corruption and illicit financing and faced other trials before the outbreak of the war in April 2023. At that time, he was held at a military base in Omdurman, prior to his transfer to Merowe in northern Sudan.

Sudanese media reports had said that the former president's health had deteriorated significantly over the past few days, necessitating his transfer to Khartoum.

However, high-level sources refuted to Asharq Al-Awsat claims regarding the deterioration of his health, saying that recent measures aim to pave the way for his travel abroad in anticipation of domestic political shifts or regional developments.

The sources said Islamists are seeking to preempt potential rapid shifts in the political landscape that could place the authorities, led by the President of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in extreme embarrassment before the International Criminal Court if Bashir remains in the country.

According to the sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, prominent Islamist leaders in the ousted National Congress Party had previously made contacts to arrange Bashir's transfer abroad, after obtaining approval to host him.

The sources added that the ousted president had previously been offered a transfer to Eritrea but refused, despite Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki having expressed his willingness to host him.


Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)

Hezbollah denied on Wednesday any connection to a cell that Syrian authorities said they had dismantled in the country's south and which they accused of being affiliated with the Lebanese group.

A statement from the Iran-backed movement's media office said it "categorically denies any relationship or connection between Hezbollah and the alleged cell" and emphasized that "it has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory and has no involvement in any security or military activity there".

On Tuesday, Syria said intelligence services and security forces "thwarted a sabotage plot in the Yarmuk basin in Daraa (province) and arrested a Hezbollah-affiliated cell composed of three individuals".

Authorities said the cell attempted "to prepare rocket launch platforms with the aim of carrying out attacks to destabilize security and stability", without specifying the target.

The Yarmuk basin area, where state media has previously reported Israeli incursions and shelling, borders the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as well as Jordan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said there were "indications" that Israel's enemies could try to attack ahead of elections scheduled for late October.

Syria's new authorities, who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024, are hostile to Hezbollah, which is a sworn enemy of Israel and fought on Assad's side during the Syrian civil war.

Authorities have previously said they dismantled several Hezbollah-linked cells preparing attacks in Syria, accusations the group has denied.

In Wednesday's statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of seeking to disrupt ties between Lebanon and Syria.

It called on Syrian authorities "to identify the real beneficiary of escalating tensions between the two countries, namely the Israeli enemy".

Last month, Hezbollah's chief Naim Qassem said he had no objection to meeting openly with Syria's leadership.

In June, responding to a question about whether he would sit at the table with Hezbollah, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that "if this serves Lebanon's interests and safeguards Syria's interests, why not".


US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
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US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)

The Trump administration is removing Syria from a list of countries that are not allowed to purchase or import US weaponry, a step that is part of a monthslong process of easing sanctions on the new government in Damascus and its leaders.

In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, so that Syria no longer was among the nations subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals needed for the sale of US weapons and munitions.

The change effective Thursday means that arms sales requests from Syria will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.

President Donald Trump acted last year to ease economic sanctions on Syria that had been in place for decades during now-ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, helping paving the way for the latest step in drawing closer to the current government.

The State Department has also announced plans to reopen the US Embassy in Damascus. It has been closed for 14 years.

With Syria’s removal from the ITAR blacklist, only seven countries remain subject to the policy of denial for licenses for US arms exports: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa overthrew the Assad government nearly two years ago and has embarked on a policy of change that has impressed the Trump administration. His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the ISIS insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of US forces from Iraq may mean that the Syrian government plays a greater role in preventing an ISIS resurgence.