Hamas Agrees to Dissolve Gaza Governing Body Under Ceasefire Deal

Hamas has announced that it will dissolve the governing body that has administered the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, paving the way for a technocratic administration to assume responsibility for civilian governance under the terms of last year's ceasefire agreement with Israel.

The group confirmed that Mohammed al-Farra, head of the government's emergency committee, had formally resigned and that the committee itself would be dissolved to facilitate the transition.

“The head of the government's emergency committee Mohammed al-Farra has officially submitted his resignation. He has also decided to dissolve the committee to facilitate the administrative and governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” Hamas media spokesman Ismail al-Thawabta told AFP.

A separate Hamas official said the movement had agreed to appoint “a nationally accepted figure” to oversee the transition until the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) formally takes over. According to Hamas, Palestinian factions were informed of the decision during recent meetings in Cairo, where the move was reportedly welcomed as a serious step toward enabling the new body to begin its work.

The NCAG was created by the Board of Peace, the body overseeing implementation of the ceasefire agreement brokered in part by U.S. President Donald Trump. The committee is headed by Palestinian official Ali Shaath and is intended to manage Gaza's civilian affairs. However, despite its creation, it has remained outside the territory for months, with reports indicating that Israel has blocked its members from entering Gaza.

Hamas has governed Gaza since taking control of the territory from the rival Fatah movement in 2007, following elections held in 2006. Since the ceasefire came into effect last October, the group has repeatedly indicated that it is prepared to relinquish day-to-day administration. However, negotiations have stalled over broader political and security issues.

The second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which envisions Hamas disarming and Israeli forces gradually withdrawing from Gaza, has yet to be implemented. Israel and Hamas remain deeply divided over those conditions. While Israel insists that Hamas must surrender its weapons and rejects any future return of the group to power, it has also opposed an immediate transfer of authority to the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah.

For its part, Hamas argues that a new Palestinian administration must first be established before it will consider handing over any part of its military capabilities. The dispute has become one of the central obstacles preventing the ceasefire from advancing to its next stage.

The first phase of the agreement saw the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel. Despite that progress, Israeli troops have expanded their presence in Gaza in recent months and now reportedly control nearly 70 percent of the territory.

Israel has also faced accusations of restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza amid the continuing disagreements over implementation of the ceasefire. Under international law, Gaza is widely regarded as occupied territory because Israel has maintained control over its borders, including after withdrawing its settlements and military forces in 2005. Israeli troops returned to Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the subsequent Israeli military campaign.