Hamas dissolves Gaza government as US-brokered ceasefire plan stalls

Hamas announced it will dissolve its government in Gaza – a move experts say puts pressure on Israel as progress from the US-brokered ceasefire deal stalls . The militant group is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations. Hamas did not say whether it planned to take the crucial step of disarming or handing over security to an international force, but described its decision as evidence of a commitment to Gaza’s reconstruction after years of war. It was unclear if the move, announced by a lower-level official, would lead to any meaningful change on the ground. Exclusive Foreign secretary threatens Israel with further sanctions Israel committing genocide by targeting children in Gaza, UN inquiry finds The Board of Peace, the new entity led by US President Donald Trump with the mandate of governing and rebuilding Gaza, said it was aware of the Hamas announcement but would assess the impact based on “actions, not promises”. In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the board added that the technocratic committee must control all weapons in Gaza, as laid out in the ceasefire agreement. Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office, told a news conference on Monday said “only technical and professional staff” would remain in their positions to run the Palestinian enclave’s day-to-day affairs. “All employees working in service provision are ‘state employees’ and are fully prepared to work under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” al-Thawabta said. Ismail al-Thawabta speaks during a press conference at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Credit: AP Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem called it “a positive step forward on the path to implement the ceasefire deal”. Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar dismissed the move, saying it was designed to avoid disarmament. He wrote on X: “As long as Hamas retains its weapons, any civilian government will of course operate as Hamas dictates.” Nine months after the ceasefire was signed, negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza. Subscribe for free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Hamas has insisted on implementing the first phase before moving to discuss its weapons. The group's unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack sparked the war that killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. Israel’s retaliation in Gaza has killed 73,098 Palestinians, including more than 21,280 children, according to the territory’s health ministry. On Monday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in Gaza, including three in Khan Younis in the south and two in an apartment in Gaza City, health officials said. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas operative and a militant from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group. Militants have carried out shootings against Israeli troops in Gaza, and five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire. From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...