Hamas dissolves Gaza govt to advance peace plan

Moves to transfer administration to technocrats Retains control of security and ministries Humanitarian crisis p

CAIRO:

Hamas announced on Monday that it had dissolved its de facto government in Gaza and signalled its willingness to hand administrative authority to a US-backed committee of Palestinian technocrats, in a move aimed at advancing a stalled post-war peace plan while accusing Israel of failing to fulfil its own commitments.

The decision marks a significant step under a peace framework proposed by US President Donald Trump after a ceasefire took effect in October. However, Hamas said the ministries it established over the past decade would continue to function, with existing staff remaining in place, while the group would retain responsibility for security and policing in areas still under its control.

The Trump-appointed Board of Peace, established to oversee implementation of the plan, acknowledged Hamas's announcement but said its assessment would be based on "actions, not promises" in addressing Gaza's urgent humanitarian needs.

There was no immediate response from Israel. Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and failing to implement provisions requiring a military withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel insists it will not pull out until Hamas disarms. Hamas, in turn, has refused to surrender its weapons until Israeli military operations end.

Speaking at a news conference in Gaza City, Hamas government media office director Ismail Al-Thawabta said the head of the Government Emergency Committee had resigned and the oversight body had been formally dissolved to facilitate the transfer of administrative responsibilities.

Under the proposed arrangement, governance would be handed to the 15-member National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a body of Palestinian technocrats backed by the United States.

Committee chairman Ali Shaath said it was ready to assume responsibility once the necessary resources and conditions were in place, stressing that effective governance required a single authority, one legal framework and unified control over weapons.

Despite the political move, the security situation remained volatile. Gaza health officials said five people were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday, including a couple in Gaza City's Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood and three others in separate attacks on a tent sheltering displaced people and a vehicle in Khan Younis.

More than two-and-a-half years after the conflict erupted following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, much of Gaza remains devastated. Israeli forces continue to control more than 60% of the territory, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as a security buffer zone, while millions of displaced Palestinians continue to live in tents or damaged buildings amid the prolonged humanitarian crisis.