
2 months · 3 summary articles
Hamas dissolves Gaza governance bodies in bid to revive US-backed ceasefire plan
Hamas dissolves Gaza government as Khameneis funeral procession reaches Qom
Hamas dissolves Gaza governing body to hand control to technocratic committee
Hamas dissolves Gaza governing body, paving way for technocratic administration
Hamas announced on Monday the dissolution of its civilian governing body in the Gaza Strip, a move that clears the way for a technocratic committee to assume administrative control of the war-ravaged territory. The decision, confirmed by Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, marks the end of nearly two decades of Hamas-led governance in Gaza and follows a ceasefire agreement brokered by former US President Donald Trump in October 2025.
The Hamas-run Emergency Committee, which has overseen Gaza’s ministries since the group seized control from rival Fatah in 2007, will be dissolved and its acting head, Mohammed al-Farra, has submitted his resignation. The committee’s dissolution is intended to facilitate the transfer of power to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body created under the US-brokered ceasefire plan. The NCAG, led by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath, has been based outside Gaza for months due to Israeli objections to its entry into the territory.
Hamas framed the move as a strategic step to remove “any pretexts for the occupation” and accelerate the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. “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,” Qassem told AFP. The group has already informed other Palestinian factions of its decision, with factions in Cairo reportedly welcoming the move as a “serious step” toward enabling the NCAG to take up its governing role.
However, the dissolution of Hamas’s civilian administration does not address the group’s military structures, a key demand of Israel in the ceasefire negotiations. Hamas has repeatedly stated its willingness to hand over governance but has refused to disarm without guarantees, including the involvement of a Palestinian or international actor in the process. “The decision does not affect the military wing,” a Hamas official told AFP, underscoring that the group remains committed to its armed resistance.
The announcement comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, where daily strikes have continued despite the October 2025 ceasefire. According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli attacks in Gaza City and Khan Younis on Monday killed at least six people and wounded more than 20. The NCAG’s ability to assume control remains contingent on Israel’s approval of its entry into Gaza, a condition that has stalled the committee’s deployment since its formation in January 2026.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the ceasefire’s implementation as conditional on Hamas’s disarmament, a stance that has drawn criticism from Palestinian analysts. “Netanyahu is using this situation for his political interests,” said Samer Sinijlawi, a former Fatah politician and activist who attended recent meetings in Cairo. Sinijlawi noted that Israel controls approximately 70% of Gaza, with only 30% under Hamas’s control, and has restricted access to the territory for journalists and the NCAG.
The dissolution of Hamas’s governing body follows months of negotiations in Cairo, where mediators have sought to bridge gaps between Hamas’s demands for security guarantees and Israel’s insistence on disarmament. The US-brokered plan, which includes 20 points for Gaza’s transition, remains stalled as both sides fail to reach a compromise on the group’s armed wing. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with 90% of homes destroyed and critical infrastructure—including water, sanitation, and healthcare—collapsed.
As the NCAG awaits entry into Gaza, Hamas has pledged to keep technical and professional staff in their positions to prevent an administrative vacuum. The group’s decision to dissolve its civilian government is widely seen as a tactical maneuver to pressure Israel and international actors into advancing the peace plan, but the absence of a resolution on disarmament leaves the territory’s future uncertain.
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