Updates: Hamas-Israel ceasefire holds

Egypt has said that 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 last year, 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.

President Donald Trump's envoy has said that a plan to end the Gaza war was now moving to Phase Two with a goal of disarming Hamas, despite a number of Israeli strikes during the ceasefire.

"We are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President's 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarisation, technocratic governance, and reconstruction," envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on X.

The second phase will also include the setup of a 15-person Palestinian technocratic committee to administer post-war Gaza. Its formation was announced earlier Wednesday by Egypt, a close US ally and mediator.

JAKARTA: The international stabilisation foce in Gaza is a "temporary measure" and a two-state solution remains the end-goal, said Indonesia's foreign minister Sugiono.

At least six Palestinian people have been killed in Gaza as a fierce winter storm toppled buildings damaged by Israeli attacks in its genocidal war on the territory, Al Jazeera reported, citing local health officials.

Dangerous living conditions persist in Gaza after more than two years of devastating Israeli bombardment and aid shortfalls.

A ceasefire has been in effect since October 10. But aid groups say that Palestinians broadly lack the shelter necessary to withstand frequent winter storms.

The people who died in Tuesday’s stormy conditions include two women, a girl and a man, according to al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza City’s largest, which received their bodies.

There were also reports of several other deaths of children and the elderly due to the cold weather.

The Gaza Health Ministry said on Tuesday that a one-year-old boy died of hypothermia overnight.

Two other children had died on Monday night due to the freezing conditions and inadequate shelter, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

The Trump administration is preparing to unveil the new governance framework for Gaza today, in an effort to advance the second phase of the ceasefire despite scepticism from allies, limited funding, and unresolved security challenges, according to the Financial Times.

The proposal centres on appointing former UN envoy and Bulgarian defence minister Nickolay Mladenov as “high representative” to oversee a 14-member Palestinian technocratic committee responsible for day-to-day governance, with Hamas relinquishing civil administration.

US and Israeli officials say they hope to secure early “quick wins,” such as reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt, easing import restrictions, and expanding medical aid.

A wider “board of peace” led by Donald Trump is also anticipated but may face delays, while an executive committee including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is expected to be named. 

Critics caution that the initiative lacks international endorsement, peacekeeping commitments, and sufficient funding, with only around $1bn raised against requirements estimated in the tens of billions.

The Israeli army said it killed two militants Tuesday in the southern Gaza Strip in an exchange involving tank fire and air strikes, despite its fragile ceasefire with Hamas.

The military said in a statement that it identified "six armed terrorists in the western Rafah area, adjacent to IDF (Israeli army) troops".

"Tanks arrived at the scene and fired at the terrorists. The terrorists fired at the soldiers in one of the tanks, and an exchange of fire ensued, including targeted aerial strikes in the area," it said, adding two militants were killed and that troops were searching for the others.

At least 24 Palestinians, including 21 children, have died owing to extreme cold in Gaza.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Government Media Office reported that seven children have died since the beginning of the current winter season due to severe cold, bringing the total number of cold-related fatalities to 24 as of January 13, 2026.

“All the victims were displaced Palestinians living in forced displacement camps,” the statement said.

The Media Office also confirmed that approximately 7,000 tents have been destroyed by the ongoing low-pressure weather system battering the enclave.

It warned of “catastrophic humanitarian consequences” as freezing temperatures return to Gaza amid the continuing Israeli onslaught and suffocating blockade, which have caused widespread devastation of homes and infrastructure and forced more than 1.5 million Palestinians into displacement camps lacking even the most basic living conditions.

The Office stated that the situation poses a grave threat to the lives of the most vulnerable groups, particularly children, citing an almost total absence of heating supplies, a lack of safe shelters, and severe shortages of blankets and winter clothing, compounded by ongoing restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.

It held Israel entirely responsible for the deaths, which the statement described as part of a broader policy of “slow killing, starvation, and forced displacement.”

The Media Office urged the international community, the United Nations, and humanitarian and human rights organisations to take immediate action to establish safe shelters, permit the unrestricted entry of heating and relief supplies, and prevent further loss of life.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that he could refer Israel ‍to the International Court of Justice if it does not repeal laws targeting UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and return seized assets and property to the UN body.

In a January 8 letter addressed to to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the UN boss said the United Nations cannot remain indifferent to “actions taken by Israel, which are in direct contravention of the obligations of Israel under international law. They must be ⁠reversed without delay.”

Israel’s parliament passed a law in October 2024 banning the agency from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having contact with the agency. It then amended that law last month to ban electricity or water to UNRWA facilities.

Israeli authorities also seized UNRWA’s East Jerusalem offices last month. The UN considers East Jerusalem occupied by Israel. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be part of the country.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon on Tuesday dismissed Guterres’ letter to Netanyahu.

“We are not fazed by the Secretary-General’s threats,” Danon said. “Instead of dealing with the undeniable involvement of UNRWA personnel in terrorism, ‍the Secretary-General chooses to threaten Israel. This is not defending international law, this is defending an organization marred by terrorism.”

Hamas is expected to elect a new leader this month, two sources in the group told Reuters, filling the role left vacant since Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in 2024.

Khalil Al-Hayya and Khaled Meshaal are seen as frontrunners for the helm at a vital moment for the resistance group, battered by two years of war.

The election process has already begun, the sources said. The leader is chosen in a secret ballot by Hamas's Shoura Council, a 50-member body that includes Hamas members in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and exile.

A Hamas spokesperson declined to comment.