Gaza City (Web Desk): The Palestinian movement Hamas announced on Monday that it has dismantled its governing committee in the Gaza Strip, ending nearly two decades of direct administration and opening the way for a technocratic body to take charge of civilian affairs.
The decision represents a notable political shift for the movement, which has governed Gaza since taking control of the enclave from its rival, Fatah, in 2007. Since the ceasefire with Israel came into force last October, Hamas has repeatedly expressed readiness to relinquish its role in managing the territory's daily affairs. However, the question of its weapons remains unresolved, with the group citing repeated Israeli breaches of the truce.
A Hamas official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the movement had agreed to dissolve its Gaza government committee and appoint a widely accepted national figure to supervise its work until the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) officially begins operating.
Hamas's media office in Gaza also announced plans to hold an important press conference later on Monday, although it did not disclose the agenda.
Another senior Hamas official revealed that the decision had already been shared with other Palestinian factions during recent discussions in Cairo, where participants reportedly welcomed the move as a genuine step toward enabling the NCAG to assume administrative duties.
The dissolution of Hamas's governing structure clears the path for the NCAG, led by Palestinian official Ali Shaath, to oversee the administration of Gaza. The committee was established by the Board of Peace, an entity created by US President Donald Trump after he brokered the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel last October.
Despite its formation, the NCAG has yet to enter Gaza and has remained based outside the enclave for months, reportedly because Israel has objected to its deployment in the territory devastated by months of conflict.
Hamas and other Palestinian groups have participated in several rounds of negotiations in Cairo with mediators in an effort to bridge differences over the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The first phase saw the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Negotiations on the next stage, which envisaged Hamas giving up its weapons and Israeli forces gradually withdrawing from Gaza, have remained deadlocked for months. Instead, Israeli troops have expanded their presence in the enclave, now controlling nearly 70 percent of the territory.
Hamas has maintained that it will only consider transferring any portion of its arsenal after a recognised Palestinian governing authority is established.
The future political administration of Gaza continues to be one of the principal obstacles preventing progress on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel has ruled out allowing Hamas to return to power while also rejecting the possibility of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority assuming direct control of Gaza, even as it continues expanding what Palestinians and much of the international community regard as illegal settlements in the enclave.