Hamas dissolves Gaza governing committee

Move signals major political shift amid fragile ceasefire

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has announced the dissolution of the body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, marking a significant step toward transferring administrative control to a technocratic authority.

The announcement comes nearly two decades after Hamas assumed control of Gaza in 2007 following its victory in legislative elections and a violent split with rival faction Fatah.

According to Hamas officials, the decision is intended to ease the transition toward a new civilian administration as part of broader post-ceasefire arrangements.

Emergency committee dissolved to enable transition

Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas’s government media office, said the leader of the emergency government committee, Mohammed al-Farra, had submitted his resignation and formally dissolved the body.

He said the move would facilitate a handover to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which is expected to take over day-to-day governance responsibilities.

The NCAG is currently based in Cairo and was formed under the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump during mediation efforts linked to the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire.

“No longer in charge,” Hamas says

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the decision reflects the group’s willingness to step back from direct administration.

“Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip,” he said, arguing it would remove “pretexts” for continued military escalation by Israel.

Technocratic committee prepares to assume control

The NCAG confirmed it is ready to assume governance once conditions are met.

Its head, Ali Shaath, said the committee requires “a single authority, a single law, and a unified security framework” to function effectively.

The Board of Peace has also emphasized that all weapons in Gaza should ultimately fall under NCAG control, in line with broader ceasefire provisions and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2802.

Disarmament remains key obstacle

Despite the administrative shift, major political disagreements remain unresolved, particularly over Hamas’s weapons arsenal.

Analysts say the dissolution of the governing committee does not address the central sticking point in negotiations.

Political expert Mkhaimar Abusada described the move as largely symbolic, stressing that the real challenge lies in disarmament, which Hamas has not agreed to.