Hamas Dissolves Gaza Governing Body, Clearing Way for US-Backed Technocratic Committee

Hamas announced it would dissolve the body that has governed Gaza for nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to administer the territory as part of a US-backed transition.

“The Palestinian group Hamas has announced the dissolution of the body that has governed Gaza for nearly two decades, paving the way for a technocratic committee to implement civilian rule in the war-ravaged, besieged territory”

Al Jazeera

SBS reported that Hamas said the decision was made to "remove any pretexts for the occupation" of Gaza, while the move also came after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza last October between Hamas and Israel.

Al Jazeera

In the same transition framework, 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).

SBS added that the NCAG is currently based in Cairo and was created by the Board of Peace that US President Donald Trump established when he brokered the ceasefire in October 2025.

The BBC also framed the announcement as Hamas dissolving its de facto government in Gaza and pressing for progress on a stalled US-backed peace plan, while Israel dismissed the move as a "stunt."

Hamas’s offer to hand over governing authority stopped short of committing to disarmament, a key demand repeatedly made by Israel and the US, according to WION.

CBC reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed Hamas’s announcement, saying the group’s "apparent willingness to 'make room' for a technocratic government is designed to prevent its own disarmament."

Al-Imarat al-Yawm

In Gaza, Al Jazeera said Mohammed al-Farra, head of the government’s emergency committee, had decided to submit his official resignation and announce the dissolution of the Government Emergency Committee, describing it as "a demonstration of the seriousness of these measures" to facilitate the administrative transition process.

Al Jazeera also quoted Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem telling AFP that Hamas would 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."

The Guardian added that the interim administration, the NCAG, has been blocked from entering Gaza by Israel since its creation in January, leaving uncertainty about whether any handover can occur soon.

The dispute over governance and security is tied to the ceasefire’s next phase, with SBS saying the thorny issue of Hamas’s disarmament remains unresolved and that the second phase has been stalled for months.

SBS reported that at least 1,072 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the truce took effect, according to the territory's health ministry, while the Israeli military said it has lost five soldiers in Gaza over the same period.

In parallel, Ynetnews said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set Israel’s position that Gaza reconstruction cannot begin unless Hamas is disarmed and the Strip is demilitarized, adding, "There will be no reconstruction in Gaza without dismantling and demilitarizing the Strip."

The BBC described a separate flashpoint in southern Gaza involving the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), where trucks filled with food had been delivered near the town of Rafah and witnesses said thousands stormed the center as Israeli forces fired shots.

With the NCAG still based outside Gaza and Israel insisting on disarmament, the Guardian reported that the Board of Peace response to Hamas’s declaration was noncommittal, saying "Ultimately, our assessment will be guided by actions, not promises" to meet the critical needs of the people of Gaza.