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Gaza Committee Faces Israeli Hurdles as it Seeks Pressure from Mediators

Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Gaza Committee Faces Israeli Hurdles as it Seeks Pressure from Mediators

Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)

The committee tasked with administering the Gaza Strip has begun work in Cairo, but its planned entry into the enclave has been blocked by Israel, a move mediators are seeking to head off as part of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that began in mid-January and has drawn objections from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The ban followed Israel's objection to the White House announcement of leaders who will play a role in overseeing the next steps in Gaza.

Experts speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat said these objections represent major obstacles that complicate the second phase, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the launch of reconstruction, the deployment of stabilization forces, and the disarmament of Hamas.

They warned the obstacles could delay or derail implementation, stressing that pressure from the international community and mediators could push Washington to neutralize any Israeli hurdles.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper quoted sources on Tuesday as saying Netanyahu’s government is refusing to allow members of the Palestinian “technocrats committee” to enter Gaza.

It said the committee members had been scheduled to enter the enclave this week via the Rafah crossing to assume civil administration duties by the end of the week.

The report said the committee’s members continue to hold meetings in Cairo, while mediators, particularly Egypt, are working with the United States to secure approval for the committee’s entry into Gaza by the end of the month.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a press conference in Doha on Tuesday that the international community must pressure Israel to allow the technocrats committee to enter Gaza.

Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday that government bodies in Gaza have begun taking steps to facilitate the work of the national committee and hand over authority.

It stressed it has placed no preconditions on forming the committee or starting its work, but expects “independent professional and technical performance.”

Ahmed Fouad Anwar, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and an academic specializing in Israeli affairs, said the Israeli ban is part of a pattern of obstacles Israel has attempted to impose at every stage of the Gaza agreement, as it did during the first phase.

He said he expects US pressure to prevent the continued ban on committee members.

Palestinian political analyst Nizar Nazzal said Israel wants an administrative committee stripped of authority and willpower, adding that the ban is calculated and deliberate.

He nevertheless expects the committee to eventually enter Gaza to begin work, saying Israeli leaks appear to be a media bubble aimed mainly at domestic audiences.

Reuters reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Netanyahu on Monday to shut down the US-led multinational coordination center supporting President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, calling for Hamas to be given a final ultimatum to disarm or face the destruction of the enclave.

The White House announced on Friday the formation of an 11-member Gaza Executive Board, including Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay.

A day after Trump announced the executive bodies, Netanyahu’s office said the move was made without coordination with Israel and runs counter to its policy, adding that Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.

Anwar said Israeli objections began even before the second phase of the Gaza plan, with Netanyahu’s government demanding the return of the last remains of Israeli hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.

He said the phase began nonetheless without Washington responding to those demands, predicting that Israel would try to obstruct the second phase, while the US continues to ignore them.

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Arab World

Hamas Members Struggle to Spend Cash Salaries

A Palestinian gives a child a sip of water from a bag bought for one shekel amid extreme heat in Gaza City in August 2025 (AP) 
A Palestinian gives a child a sip of water from a bag bought for one shekel amid extreme heat in Gaza City in August 2025 (AP) 
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Hamas Members Struggle to Spend Cash Salaries

A Palestinian gives a child a sip of water from a bag bought for one shekel amid extreme heat in Gaza City in August 2025 (AP) 
A Palestinian gives a child a sip of water from a bag bought for one shekel amid extreme heat in Gaza City in August 2025 (AP) 

Until three weeks ago, merchants in the Gaza Strip were still accepting cash from residents, even though much of it consisted of worn-out banknotes. But they began gradually refusing cash more than 10 days ago, hardening their stance over the past four days and turning instead to banking apps and electronic wallets.

The shift has coincided with intensified Israeli targeting and killing of Hamas financial officials in recent weeks, including some involved in delivering salaries to the group’s members.

Hamas employees told Asharq Al-Awsat that most government workers and members of its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, receive their salaries in cash.

Several Hamas sources said government employees receive part of their salaries roughly every 100 days, amounting to only about 1,000 shekels ($328), often in worn banknotes. Al-Qassam members, meanwhile, are paid every 40 to 50 days, receiving up to around 60 percent of their salaries and no less than approximately 1,200 shekels, generally in banknotes in good condition.

People dealing with Gaza’s markets told Asharq Al-Awsat that some merchants had recently begun accepting cash from individuals and transferring the equivalent electronically through apps and e-wallets in exchange for commissions of up to 10 percent.

The crisis marks a reversal from the peak years of the war that began in October 2023, when Gazans struggled to convert money held in electronic wallets into cash. Commissions started at 10 percent and at times reached 60 percent before electronic transactions became more widespread.

In August, an Israeli military spokeswoman warned Palestinians in Gaza against using a category of old shekel banknotes marked with the letter “B,” in a move aimed at economically squeezing Hamas.

What Do We Do With Worn Banknotes?

Ahmed al-Najjar, 39, an employee of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, angrily questioned what employees were supposed to do with the worn banknotes they received.

“How long will things remain this way?” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We are the ones paying the price with our lives, and we find no one standing with us — neither officials nor merchants — while others fight us in different ways to make huge profits and gains.”

Israel has barred cash from entering Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, while banks suffered major thefts during the war. Israeli security authorities also sought to impose conditions on Gaza merchants after periodically allowing goods into the enclave, requiring payments through electronic applications in a move aimed at restricting Hamas.

Under the new circumstances, Hamas appears to be facing a serious cash shortage affecting its members and employees, coinciding with repeated Israeli killings of funding sources, money changers and prominent figures in its financial apparatus.

Hamas Warns Merchants

The Hamas-run police in Gaza issued a general directive warning shopkeepers and others against refusing cash. It stressed that they must accept different types of banknotes, old and new, provided they are not damaged, and threatened violators with strict legal measures.

A Hamas police official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the issue did not affect only government employees or Hamas members, but also families of orphans, war victims, wounded Palestinians and prisoners who receive financial assistance from various relief organizations but cannot find merchants willing to accept their cash.

Hamas-affiliated media in Gaza have also launched a campaign against banks operating under the Palestinian Monetary Authority in Ramallah, accusing them of encouraging merchants to switch exclusively to electronic payments and of closing hundreds of residents’ bank accounts. Some banks have repeatedly denied the allegations, reiterating days ago that no decisions had been made to close accounts.

The dispute has fueled an unprecedented social media campaign warning people against giving up cash in favor of banking apps and other electronic wallets. The campaign has included warnings that a new war between Iran and the United States could soon engulf the entire region again, potentially causing people to lose money held electronically.

An official banking source rejected those claims, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that funds held in banks would remain secure and that a shift toward electronic transactions was underway.

The source said banks were routinely updating customer information and identifying account holders’ activities amid concerns that some funds could be linked to money laundering. Banks, the source added, had instructions to facilitate Palestinians’ access to accounts as part of financial inclusion efforts taking place in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel recently killed Jabr Moqbel, the owner of a currency-exchange shop and a prominent Al-Qassam Brigades member in Gaza City, in a strike on a vehicle in Deir al-Balah. Mohammed Abu Alwan, a Hamas financial official, was killed in a strike in Khan Younis. A Palestinian Islamic Jihad financial official was seriously wounded Sunday in an attempted assassination west of Gaza City.

The Israeli military said in a recent statement that throughout the war it had killed 16 prominent financial operatives involved in transferring funds and financing Hamas’ military activities. It said the operatives had managed transfers worth more than $1 billion through a network of dozens of money changers in Türkiye and Gaza.

The military said it and the Shin Bet were focusing their efforts on damaging Hamas’ financing capabilities and preventing the rebuilding of its infrastructure and military capabilities.

Arab World

Yemen: Taiz Fronts Drain Houthis, Target Reinforcements

The Houthis suffer heavy losses during attacks on Yemeni government forces (AFP)
The Houthis suffer heavy losses during attacks on Yemeni government forces (AFP)
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Yemen: Taiz Fronts Drain Houthis, Target Reinforcements

The Houthis suffer heavy losses during attacks on Yemeni government forces (AFP)
The Houthis suffer heavy losses during attacks on Yemeni government forces (AFP)

Yemeni government forces have intensified air and artillery strikes against the Houthis in Taiz governorate as fighting continues along the province’s western, southern and eastern fronts, with no major change in territorial control reported in recent hours, according to military sources and government media.

Government warplanes on Sunday targeted Houthi positions, gatherings and reinforcements across Taiz. Forces involved in the fighting said they had thwarted Houthi infiltration attempts on several fronts, while strikes extended to other positions in Lahj near Bab al-Mandab.

Military and local sources reported that airstrikes hit Houthi positions and gatherings east of Taiz city after the group brought in personnel and military reinforcements. The raids also targeted a Houthi camp and vehicles at Mawiyah Junction, positions on the Al-Akboush front to the southeast, and a reinforcement convoy on 60th Street north of Taiz.

Government forces had earlier announced strikes on a supply convoy on 60th Street, reinforcements in the Hanna area of Al-Wazi’iyah district west of the governorate, and positions and weapons, ammunition and missile depots at the Mawiyah and Al-Dhikra junctions to the east. A Houthi gathering in Al-Suwayda in Hayfan district to the south was also targeted.

Military sources said the raids destroyed vehicles and killed and wounded Houthi fighters, including field commanders, but provided no independently verifiable figures for the losses.

Government forces also used drones to target Houthi positions, vehicles and gatherings on several fronts, indicating an intensified use of airstrikes to counter the group’s military movements and reinforcements.

Infiltration Attempts

On the ground, the Taiz Military Axis command reported that government forces thwarted a Houthi infiltration attempt on the Al-Ahtoub front in Jabal Habashi district west of Taiz and targeted Houthi fighters as they tried to approach government positions in the Hazran area.

Government forces also struck a Houthi vehicle with a mortar round on the Al-Kaddahah front and targeted gatherings on the Al-Aqroudh front southeast of the city.

The developments came as the Taiz, Lahj and Bab al-Mandab fronts remained on high alert, with attacks and counterattacks continuing around high ground and forward positions, particularly along the Jabal Numan, Kahbub, Al-Alaqma and Rasin axes.

Available battlefield information showed no signs of a new Houthi advance. Fighting remained concentrated in forward areas and on the high ground surrounding Jabal Numan, while the Houthis continued attempts to retake parts of positions they had lost along that axis.

At Kahbub, on the road leading to Bab al-Mandab, the Southern Giants Brigades said they targeted Houthi gatherings and vehicles and destroyed an armored vehicle, killing those aboard. Fighting continued on the Al-Wazi’iyah and Al-Mudaraba fronts.

Fighting Expands

The pattern of strikes over the past two days shows the fighting extending from front lines to supply positions, gathering points, camps and weapons depots as Yemeni government forces seek to limit the Houthis’ ability to send fresh reinforcements to the Taiz and Lahj fronts.

Targets have included Mawiyah and Al-Dhikra junctions east of Taiz, Al-Hawban, 60th Street north of the city, Hayfan to the south and Al-Wazi’iyah to the west, as well as positions in neighboring Ibb governorate.

The fighting is therefore no longer confined to direct clashes over high ground, with Houthi supply lines and military movements repeatedly targeted by airstrikes.

The Houthis, meanwhile, continued attempts to pressure several fronts, particularly the western axes, which are important because of their proximity to the road leading to coastal areas and Bab al-Mandab, where they are seeking to secure their gains.

The intensified military operations come amid indications of rising Houthi casualties. The group acknowledged the death of Majd al-Din Hamid al-Hamzi, whom military sources said was head of operations for the Third Missile Brigade, along with several of his escorts following fighting on the western coast fronts.

Yemeni monitoring data indicated that Houthi media outlets and affiliated platforms announced funerals for 422 members of the group in September, including officers and military commanders.

Sources that compiled the figures said the number did not represent the Houthis’ total losses because the group does not regularly announce all its dead. Some funerals are delayed, while others are buried without media coverage, and bodies remaining in hospitals or combat zones are not included in the tally.

The sources reported that 60 Houthi fighters were buried last Friday alone after being killed on various fronts. Losses were particularly concentrated on the Taiz and Lahj fronts, according to local reports.

The fighting was also accompanied by reports of fighters’ bodies remaining in some combat areas, prompting local appeals for the Red Cross and Red Crescent to retrieve them amid fears of humanitarian and environmental consequences.

Arab World

Dutch FM Regrets Israel's Decision to Revoke Diplomats' Accreditation

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen arrives for a Council of Ministers meeting at the Ministry of General Affairs in The Hague, the Netherlands, 18 September 2026. EPA/KOEN VAN WEEL
Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen arrives for a Council of Ministers meeting at the Ministry of General Affairs in The Hague, the Netherlands, 18 September 2026. EPA/KOEN VAN WEEL
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Dutch FM Regrets Israel's Decision to Revoke Diplomats' Accreditation

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen arrives for a Council of Ministers meeting at the Ministry of General Affairs in The Hague, the Netherlands, 18 September 2026. EPA/KOEN VAN WEEL
Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen arrives for a Council of Ministers meeting at the Ministry of General Affairs in The Hague, the Netherlands, 18 September 2026. EPA/KOEN VAN WEEL

The Netherlands said Monday it regretted Israel's decision to revoke the diplomatic accreditation of Dutch officials based in the West Bank over the country's sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements.

"I deeply regret this unnecessary decision," Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said, adding that the decision by The Hague to suspend imports from the occupied territories in the West Bank was "not directed against Israel.”

Israel earlier this month ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, which is Britain's representative with the Palestinian Authority, after London announced similar sanctions banning the import of goods from settlements.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X that Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah ⁠must return their ⁠Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days, when their diplomatic privileges and immunities are due to expire.

"Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region," Saar said.