Rome will host a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on July 15 and 16, with ambassador-level meetings aimed at following up on the 14-point agreement signed on June 26 in Washington under U.S. mediation. The goal is to strengthen a ceasefire that remains fragile and is not formally recognized by Hezbollah.
The announcement was made by the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who also noted the planned meeting on July 21 between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and U.S. President Donald Trump, following the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.
In Gaza, Hamas has announced a major administrative reorganization. Twenty years after the last Palestinian legislative elections and following months of negotiations after the ceasefire last October, the Islamist movement has declared the dissolution of its government in the Strip. This decision is presented as a necessary step to facilitate the transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (Ncag), an entity outlined in the international plan for managing the territory.
The announcement was made during a press conference in Gaza City by Ismail al-Thawabta, director of Hamas's press office, who also confirmed the resignation of Muhammad al-Farra, head of the government's emergency committee. According to Hamas, the transition will not lead to administrative gaps: public employees will retain their positions, and the Ministry of the Interior will continue to handle security.
Currently, Hamas exercises direct control over about 40% of the Gaza Strip, while the rest of the territory is under the control of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which do not rule out further expansion of their operations.
The president of the Ncag, Ali Shaath, stated that the new body is ready to assume its functions as soon as the necessary conditions are met, highlighting the need for a single civil authority, a unified regulatory framework, and a single armed force.
Nickolay Mladenov, head of the Board of Peace for implementing the international plan on Gaza, emphasized that there is still much work to be done. The roadmap negotiated in recent months includes, among the most delicate points, the transfer of the monopoly on weapons to the new administrative body, accompanied by measures of amnesty, reintegration, and economic support for those who renounce armed activities or leave command positions.
However, Israel views the initiative with skepticism. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar described the operation as an attempt by Hamas to recreate in Gaza a model similar to that attributed to Hezbollah, with a civilian administration in charge of public services while military control remains in the hands of the Islamist movement.
Meanwhile, U.S. diplomatic efforts continue to implement the stabilization plan for the Strip. New meetings between Palestinian delegations are planned in Cairo, and the issue is expected to be among the topics of upcoming talks between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved