Hamas Dissolves Gaza Governing Body, Clearing Way for Technocratic Committee

Hamas announced Monday that it had dissolved the governing body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to administer the territory.

France 24 reported that Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas's media office in Gaza, said 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)".

Agence Media Palestine

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

The NCAG is headed by Palestinian official Ali Shaath, who said his committee was "fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available".

France 24 also said the NCAG has remained based outside Gaza for months, reportedly due to Israeli objections to its entry into the war-devastated territory.

Middle East Eye framed Hamas’s dissolution as a message to US President Donald Trump, quoting Khaled Elgindy saying, "Hamas is signalling to Trump that they are not the obstacle to his peace deal, unlike Israel, which is bombing and killing every day,".

Elgindy also told MEE that Hamas was "more on board with giving up civilian governance in Gaza in favour of NCAG than the Palestinian Authority," while the NCAG remains based in Cairo.

Al Jazeera

The Board of Peace, led by Trump, said it had "taken note" of Hamas’s announcement but that its assessment would be guided by actions, not promises, and it reiterated the need for "the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG".

CNN reported that Hamas’s statement made no mention of disarmament, and it quoted Muhammad Shehada describing the move as Hamas trying to "talk over Netanyahu’s head" and appeal to Trump.

CNN added that Shehada said Israel would still have ultimate control, warning that "Israel still has ultimate control over everything in Gaza," and that it would "still foil NCAG."

The dispute over governance is tied to the ceasefire’s stalled second phase, with CNN saying the announcement puts pressure on Israel as progress from the US-brokered ceasefire plan has stalled.

“After nearly two decades of governing the Gaza Strip, Hamas has announced it will dissolve its government and hand over power to a new, Palestinian technocratic governing authority”

Al Jazeera

CNN reported that Hamas appealed for mediators and the international community to push for the NCAG to enter Gaza, quoting Ismail al-Thwabta’s statement that it should "immediately accelerate the steps for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to enter quickly".

The Board of Peace reiterated its core principle, telling Hamas to disarm with "one authority, one law and one weapon," while CNN said the NCAG has remained in Cairo and unable to enter Gaza or exercise authority there.

AP reported that Hamas did not say whether it planned to disarm or hand over security to an international force, and it said the move was unclear in terms of whether it would lead to meaningful change on the ground.

AP also said the Board of Peace stressed that the technocratic committee must control all weapons in Gaza, and it noted that negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain largely deadlocked over the second phase, including disarmament and reconstruction.