Palestinian group Hamas on Monday announced the dissolution of the body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, paving the way for a technocratic committee to take over civilian administration in the territory.
The decision marks a major political shift for Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since seizing control from the Fatah movement in 2007 after winning the Palestinian legislative elections the previous year.
Since the Gaza ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect in October last year, the group has repeatedly stated that it is willing to step away from day-to-day governance. However, the issue of its disarmament remains unresolved and continues to be the biggest obstacle to advancing the peace process.
Speaking to AFP, Hamas government media office chief Ismail al-Thawabta confirmed that Mohammed al-Farra, head of the government’s emergency committee, had officially submitted his resignation.
Al-Thawabta said the emergency committee had also been dissolved to facilitate the administrative and governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
The NCAG was established under the 20-point peace plan introduced by the Board of Peace (BoP), which was created by US President Donald Trump after he brokered the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in October 2025.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the movement had taken a new step by relinquishing control over Gaza in an effort to remove what he described as excuses used by the Israeli occupation to continue its military campaign.
He said Hamas hoped the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza would enter the territory as soon as possible and reiterated the movement’s readiness to transfer all governmental responsibilities to the committee to ensure its success.
A Hamas official told AFP that the group had already informed other Palestinian factions of its decision during a recent meeting in Cairo.
According to the official, the participating factions welcomed the move and described it as a serious step towards enabling the National Committee to begin carrying out its governing responsibilities.
NCAG says it is ready to assume responsibility
The dissolution of Hamas’s governing body clears the way for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, headed by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath, to assume civilian administrative responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.
In a post on X, Shaath said the committee was fully prepared to carry out its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and operational capabilities became available.
He stressed that the committee’s success depended on the existence of a single governing authority, a unified legal framework with a clear mandate, and one armed force operating under that authority.
The Board of Peace also acknowledged Hamas’s announcement and renewed its call for all weapons in Gaza to come under the authority of the NCAG.
In a statement posted on X, the board said the guiding principle remained “one authority, one law and one weapon”, meaning all arms should ultimately be consolidated under the control of the National Committee.
The NCAG has remained based outside Gaza for several months, reportedly because Israel has objected to allowing the committee to enter the war-ravaged territory.
Disarmament remains the main obstacle
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have held several rounds of talks in Cairo with mediators in an effort to bridge differences, particularly over the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The first phase of the deal included the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
However, progress towards the second phase has stalled for months because it envisages Hamas’s disarmament and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Political analyst Mkhaimar Abusada, speaking to AFP from Gaza, described Hamas’s announcement as largely symbolic.
He said the main issue was not dissolving the governing committee but agreeing to disarmament, adding that Hamas had not accepted giving up its weapons, which remained the central point of disagreement.
A diplomatic source familiar with the Cairo negotiations said Hamas’s decision served several purposes from the group’s perspective.
According to the source, the announcement demonstrated that Hamas was willing to move the political process forward while simultaneously shifting attention to what it viewed as Israel’s failure to fulfil its own commitments under the ceasefire agreement.
Although negotiations have continued in Cairo with Egyptian and other mediators, little progress has been made on the second phase, which includes Hamas’s disarmament.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have expanded their military presence across Gaza in recent months and, as of July 2, were reported to control more than 80 per cent of the territory.
At the same time, Hamas insists that a Palestinian governing administration must first be established before it will consider transferring any part of its weapons arsenal.
The future governance of Gaza after the war remains one of the biggest unresolved issues in negotiations. Israel continues to reject any return of Hamas to power while also opposing, at this stage, a direct takeover of the territory by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.