The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced on Monday that it is dissolving the governing body that has run the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, clearing the path for a technocratic committee to administer the territory.

This move represents a major political shift for Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since ousting rival Fatah in 2007 following legislative election victories the prior year.

Since a ceasefire took effect last October between Hamas and Israel, the group has repeatedly stated its readiness to step back from day-to-day administration, though the complex issue of its disarmament remains unresolved.

Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas's media office in Gaza, stated that the head of the government's emergency committee had "decided to dissolve the committee to facilitate the administrative and governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)".

The NCAG, currently stationed in Cairo, was formed by the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump during the October 2025 ceasefire brokerage.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP that the group decided to relinquish control "in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination".

Ali Shaath, head of the NCAG, stated that his committee was "fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available".

Shaath added on X that "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".

Concurrently, the Board of Peace insisted on X on "the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG as provided for in the Comprehensive Gaza Peace Plan and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803".

Israel reiterated its demand for full disarmament, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar writing on X that "Israel insists on the full implementation of the Trump plan, with its core principles being the disarmament of Hamas and all other terrorist organisations, and the complete demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip".

Operating out of Cairo for months, the NCAG has reportedly faced Israeli objections regarding its entry into the war-ravaged strip of over two million people.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, noted that the secretary-general welcomed Hamas's decision provided it advances "relevant Security Council resolutions, including the full implementation of the ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the unhindered provision of humanitarian aid" into Gaza.

Local and regional perspectives remain skeptical about the depth of the transition. Mkhaimar Abusada, a political analyst from Gaza, told AFP that the move was merely a "symbolic gesture", noting that "Hamas has not agreed to disarming itself and that is still the sticking point".

Gaza City resident Hussam Majed, 34, described the announcement to AFP as "empty words", asserting that "Hamas remains in its place in Gaza and controls everything: the crossings, the ministries, the security. They only change faces, but they insist on remaining in power at any cost, even if the entire population dies".

Factions have continued discussions with mediators in Cairo to bridge gaps, specifically addressing the stalled second phase of the ceasefire, which was designed to encompass Hamas disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal.

A diplomatic source attending the Cairo talks remarked, "From Hamas's perspective, this checks a few boxes. 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."

Meanwhile, the second phase remains deadlocked, with Israeli forces expanding their presence to control nearly 70 percent of the territory.

Violence persists despite the ongoing truce; the Gaza health ministry reports at least 1,072 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire began—figures deemed reliable by the UN—while the Israeli military reports the loss of five soldiers and one civilian contractor over the identical timeframe.

Source: AFP