The Palestinian group Hamas has dissolved the body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to assume civilian administration of the war-ravaged and besieged enclave.
The announcement on Monday marks one of the most significant political shifts by Hamas since it seized control of Gaza from rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007, following its victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.
Since a United States-brokered ceasefire with Israel took effect in Gaza last October, Hamas has repeatedly indicated its willingness to relinquish day-to-day governance. However, the issue of the group’s disarmament remains unresolved.
In a statement released by Gaza’s Government Media Office, Mohammed al-Farra, head of the government’s Emergency Committee, announced his resignation and the dissolution of the committee.
“He has decided to submit his official resignation from his position and to announce the dissolution of the Government Emergency Committee, as a demonstration of the seriousness of these measures, in implementation of the agreed arrangements, and to facilitate the administrative transition process,” the statement said.
A Hamas official said the group is seeking the swift deployment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body tasked with overseeing Gaza’s future civilian administration under a United States-backed roadmap aimed at ending Israel’s war in the territory.
“Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip, in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP.
“We hope for the swift entry of the NCAG, and Hamas affirms its readiness to hand over governmental responsibilities to the committee to ensure its success,” he added.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud described the decision as a politically significant concession intended to advance ongoing negotiations.
He said the move was aimed at paving the way for the technocratic committee to enter Gaza and assume civilian responsibilities after months of what he described as a growing governance vacuum.
Mahmoud, however, stressed that the decision does not signal Hamas’s withdrawal from Gaza’s broader political or military landscape but rather its departure from direct civilian governance.
Ali Shaath, head of the NCAG, said the committee stands ready to assume its responsibilities once the necessary resources and operational capabilities are in place.
“We affirm that the NCAG is fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available,” Shaath wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative overseeing the United States-backed Board of Peace for Gaza, which will supervise the NCAG’s work, welcomed Hamas’s decision.
He said the move “underscores the importance of bringing the roadmap discussions to a successful conclusion.”
“It is the bridge between declarations and implementation,” Mladenov added, noting that once the remaining implementation issues are resolved, the NCAG will be able to formally assume its responsibilities.
The NCAG has remained outside Gaza for several months, reportedly because of Israeli objections to its entry into the besieged territory.
Israel has consistently ruled out allowing Hamas to continue governing Gaza while also rejecting, for now, a direct takeover by the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank.
