The Palestinian group Hamas has announced that it has dissolved the government body that has administered Gaza for nearly two decades, saying it is preparing to transfer civilian administration to a technocratic committee as part of a US-brokered ceasefire arrangement.
The announcement marks a significant political development as negotiations over the next phase of the ceasefire continue, although Hamas has not indicated that it will disarm or hand over control of its military wing.
Hamas Says It Is Stepping Away From Civilian Governance
Speaking on Monday, Hamas officials said the group’s Government Emergency Committee had been dissolved to facilitate the transfer of administrative responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body based in Cairo that is expected to oversee civilian governance under international supervision.
Mohammed al-Farra, who headed the emergency committee, formally resigned, while Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem described the decision as “a positive step” towards implementing the ceasefire agreement.
“Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip, in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation,” Qassem said. He added that the group was ready to hand over governmental responsibilities to the committee.
No Commitment on Disarmament
Despite dissolving its governing body, Hamas did not announce any plan to disarm or surrender control of its armed wing, which remains one of the key issues preventing the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire.
Political observers say the group’s military status continues to be the biggest sticking point in negotiations with Israel.
Technocratic Committee Says It Is Ready
The NCAG welcomed the announcement, saying it was prepared to assume responsibility for governing Gaza once the necessary resources and conditions were in place.
“We affirm that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available,” NCAG head Ali Shaath said.
The US-backed Board of Peace, which oversees the Gaza reconstruction framework, acknowledged Hamas’ decision but said it would judge the move based on implementation rather than declarations.
“The core principle remains one authority, one law and one weapon,” the board said, stressing that all weapons in Gaza must eventually come under the authority of the new civilian administration.
Israel Rejects the Announcement
Israel dismissed Hamas’ declaration, saying it did not represent any meaningful change because Hamas members continued to remain in their positions on the ground.
The Israeli government has repeatedly stated that it will not accept any post-war arrangement that allows Hamas to retain military power in Gaza.
Ceasefire Negotiations Still Face Major Challenges
The announcement comes as negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire remain deadlocked. While Hamas has repeatedly expressed its willingness to withdraw from day-to-day governance, it insists that discussions on disarmament should come only after progress on reconstruction and broader political arrangements.
The current war began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has since killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and caused widespread destruction across the territory.
