Hamas said on Monday that it had dissolved its de facto government in Gaza and was prepared to transfer administrative control to a group of Palestinian technocrats, as it urged Israel to implement the remaining parts of a stalled U.S.-backed peace plan.
The move involves dissolving the body that has overseen Gaza’s ministries for more than a decade, a key step outlined in U.S. President Donald Trump’s post-war plan for Gaza following the fragile ceasefire with Israel that began in October. Hamas, however, said government ministries and the employees it appointed would remain in place, while the group would continue overseeing security and policing in areas of Gaza still under its control.
Trump board says actions will matter more than promises
The Trump-appointed Board of Peace, created to oversee the implementation of the plan, acknowledged Hamas’ announcement but stressed that further progress would depend on concrete steps. “Ultimately, our assessment will be guided by actions, not promises, to meet the critical needs of the people of Gaza,” the board said.
Israel did not immediately comment on Hamas’ announcement. Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and failing to implement other parts of the agreement, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza in exchange for Hamas laying down its weapons.
Hamas outlines transition plan as National Committee prepares
More than two-and-a-half years after the conflict triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, much of Gaza remains devastated. Hamas has continued to reject calls to disarm until Israel stops military operations in the enclave. Gaza medics said Israeli attacks on Monday killed five people, while Israel said its operations since the ceasefire have targeted militant threats.
Speaking at a press conference in Gaza City, Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas government media office, said the head of the Government Emergency Committee had resigned and the oversight body had officially been dissolved. “This is ‘a demonstration of the seriousness of these measures, in implementation of the agreed arrangements, and to facilitate the administrative transition process’ to the U.S.-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” Thawabta said.
Under the Trump-backed proposal, Hamas is expected to hand over government oversight to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a U.S.-backed body made up of Palestinian technocrats. Ali Shaath, who heads the 15-member committee, said it was ready to assume responsibility for Gaza once “the necessary resources and enabling conditions for its work are in place.”
“The fundamental requirements for the commission’s success are the existence of one authority and one law under a clear reference framework, and one weapon subject to that authority,” Shaath wrote in a Facebook post.
Israeli strikes continue as ceasefire remains fragile
Israeli troops currently control more than 60% of Gaza, patrolling what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as a buffer zone aimed at preventing future Hamas attacks. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will not withdraw from the territory.
Israel’s military campaign has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million residents, with many now living in tents or damaged buildings across the narrow coastal enclave.
Gaza health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed a couple inside an apartment in Gaza City’s Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood on Monday. Two additional strikes, one targeting a tent sheltering displaced people and another hitting a vehicle in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killed three more people and wounded at least 20 others, according to medics. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported strikes.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
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