Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced Monday the dissolution of the body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to implement civilian rule.
The move marks a significant political shift by Hamas, which has run Gaza since its fighters seized control from rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 after winning legislative elections the previous year.
Since a ceasefire took effect in Gaza last October between Hamas and Israel, the group has repeatedly said it is prepared to step aside from day-to-day governance, but the thorny issue of its 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 created by the Board of Peace that US President Donald Trump established when he brokered the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in October 2025.
“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 agression 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 commmittee to ensure its success.”
A Hamas official earlier told AFP that the group had already informed other Palestinian factions about its decision at a recent meeting 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 of the Hamas body paves the way for the NCAG, headed by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath, to assume administrative responsibilities in the territory.
The NCAG has remained based outside Gaza for months, reportedly due to Israeli objections to its entry into the war-devastated territory.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have held several rounds of talks in Cairo with mediators to narrow differences, particularly over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
The first phase involved the release of the last Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
The transition to the second phase, which was to involve Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, has been stalled for months.
Israeli forces have actually expanded their presence in the territory in recent months, taking control of nearly 70 percent.
Meanwhile, Hamas is demanding the establishment of a Palestinian administration before it will consider handing over any part of its arsenal.
The question of Gaza’s post-war governance remains one of the main sticking points in negotiations on implementing phase two.
Israel rejects any return of Hamas to power, but also rejects a direct takeover by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority at this stage.
(AFP)
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