Senior Hamas commanders are preparing to leave the Gaza Strip as part of progress toward the second phase of a ceasefire agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a report published Tuesday in the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
The London-based Arabic-language daily cited three sources from within Hamas’ field and command ranks who said the departures would take place after arrangements are finalized regarding Gaza’s future governance. The report said the move is tied to discussions surrounding the transition to a technocratic administration in the territory.
Palestinian sources who spoke with ynet said the emerging framework is based on a formula under which the entry of a technocratic governing body into Gaza would occur only alongside the departure of certain Hamas figures. At the top of the list, they said, is Izz al-Din Haddad, head of Hamas’ military wing.
It remains unclear whether Haddad would agree to leave Gaza voluntarily. Before the military launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, Haddad issued combative statements promising a “long and difficult battle.” Palestinian sources said that if the plan moves forward, Turkey is the primary destination under consideration.
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that several senior figures from both Hamas’ political and military wings in Gaza — among those who survived more than two years of fighting and who are not widely known to the public — are “preparing for a safe exit” from the territory. One source said the departures would be voluntary, carried out under specific arrangements and in full coordination with Hamas leadership abroad.
Another source said, however, that several commanders, particularly from the military wing, have firmly refused to leave Gaza.
According to the sources, some of those expected to depart are figures recently appointed to leadership roles within Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza, as part of a reorganization led by Ali al-Amoudi. Al-Amoudi was a close associate of Yahya Sinwar, who led the Oct. 7 massacre and was killed by the military in October 2024. Like Sinwar, al-Amoudi was released in the 2011 prisoner exchange for captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
Sources in Gaza said the departures would be “without return, at least for several years,” with senior figures living in multiple countries. Other sources said some top Hamas leaders would leave temporarily to hold meetings in Egypt with senior security officials on critical issues related to future government security forces in Gaza and other key matters, before returning to the territory.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Tuesday that the organization has begun taking logistical and administrative steps to facilitate the work of the technocratic committee expected to enter Gaza. He said Hamas is not setting preconditions for the committee’s establishment or the start of its work, but expects it to operate professionally and independently.
Qassem said Hamas’ interest in Gaza is to “ease and ensure the success of the committee’s work in order to provide assistance and support to Palestinians.” He said contacts are underway with mediating countries to “pressure Israel to allow the committee to operate in the territory,” citing complex issues that require a high level of professionalism and management.
Palestinian sources said the emerging arrangement is being handled by Egyptian intelligence and that the names of Hamas figures slated to leave Gaza are currently being discussed behind closed doors in Cairo. No final decisions have been made, they said.
The sources described the plan as a complex intelligence-driven operation, involving careful consideration of implementation methods and possible destinations. Turkey, they said, remains the primary option, though such a move would require the establishment of a security framework or escort force to facilitate the departures. Despite the challenges, the sources said negotiations are currently focused on Turkey as the main destination.
Over the weekend, Trump formally announced the creation of the Board of Peace as part of the transition to the second phase of the plan, which is intended to include both Gaza’s reconstruction and the disarmament of Hamas. Trump, who will chair the board, invited a range of world leaders to join, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Alongside the Board of Peace, the White House announced the establishment of an additional body that will operate beneath it and above the already-declared Palestinian technocratic government expected to manage affairs on the ground in place of Hamas rule. According to the White House, the interim body will be called the Gaza Executive Board and will include senior representatives from Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.