GAZA: Hamas announced on Monday that it has dissolved the body responsible for governing the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, paving the way for a technocratic committee to assume civilian administrative responsibilities.
The move represents a major political development for the Palestinian group, which has governed Gaza since taking control from Fatah in 2007 after winning the 2006 legislative elections.
Following the ceasefire with Israel that came into effect in October last year, Hamas had repeatedly indicated its willingness to withdraw from day-to-day governance. However, the issue of the group’s disarmament remains unresolved.
“The head of the government’s emergency committee Mohammed al-Farra has officially submitted his resignation,” Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas’ government media office, told AFP.
“He has also decided to dissolve the committee to facilitate the administrative and governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).”
The NCAG was established under a 20-point peace plan introduced by the Board of Peace (BoP), created by US President Donald Trump after brokering the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in October 2025.
Hamas said the decision was intended to remove obstacles to implementing the political process and enable the new governing body to take over administrative affairs.
“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, which continues its aggression and war of extermination,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP.
“We hope for the swift entry of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and Hamas affirms its readiness to hand over governmental responsibilities to the committee to ensure its success.”
According to a Hamas official, the group had already informed other Palestinian factions of the decision during recent meetings in Cairo.
“The factions welcomed Hamas’s decision, describing it as a serious step towards enabling the National Committee to take up its governing role,” the official said.
The dissolution clears the way for the NCAG, headed by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath, to take over administrative duties in Gaza.
In a post on X, Shaath said the committee was prepared to govern the territory once it receives the required resources and logistical support.
“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,” Ali Shaath wrote on X.
“The fundamental requirements for the committee’s success are a single authority, a single law with a clear mandate, and a single armed force under the authority of this single entity.”
The Board of Peace welcomed Hamas’s announcement while reiterating that all weapons in Gaza should ultimately fall under the authority of the NCAG.
“The core principle remains one authority, one law and one weapon. This means the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG,” the board said in a statement on X.
The NCAG has remained outside Gaza for several months, reportedly because Israel has objected to its entry into the enclave.
Palestinian factions have continued discussions in Cairo with mediators in an effort to resolve differences over the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. The first phase resulted in the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
Implementation of the second phase — which includes Hamas’s disarmament and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza — has remained stalled.
Political analyst Mkhaimar Abusada described Hamas’s decision as largely symbolic.
“The problem is not with dissolving their governmental committee, but with agreeing to disarmament,” he said. “Hamas has not agreed to disarming itself and that is still the sticking point.”
A diplomatic source involved in the Cairo discussions said the announcement could strengthen Hamas’s political position in the negotiations.
“From Hamas’s perspective, this checks a few boxes,” said a diplomatic source, referring to Monday’s announcement.
“It shows they are moving the process forward, puts the spotlight on what they portray as Israel’s failure to follow through on its commitments,” added the source, who attended some of the talks in Cairo.
Despite ongoing negotiations, Israeli forces have continued expanding their control in Gaza, holding more than 80 per cent of the territory as of July 2.
Hamas, meanwhile, insists that a Palestinian administration must first be established before it considers handing over any part of its weapons.
The future governance of Gaza remains one of the central unresolved issues in negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire. Israel has ruled out a return of Hamas to power while also opposing an immediate transfer of authority to the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah.
