The Palestinian movement Hamas announced Monday that it had dissolved its governing body in the Gaza Strip after nearly 20 years in power, paving the way for a technocratic committee to administer the territory.
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced Monday the dissolution of the body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to administer the territory.
The move marks a significant political shift by Hamas, which has run Gaza since its fighters seized control from rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 after winning legislative elections the year before.
Since a ceasefire took effect in Gaza last October between Hamas and Israel, the group has repeatedly said it is prepared to step aside from day-to-day governance, but the thorny issue of its disarmament remains unresolved.
Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas's media office in Gaza said the head of the government's emergency committee had "decided to dissolve the committee to facilitate the administrative and governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)".
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP that the group took the decision to relinquish charge "in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination".
The dissolution of the Hamas body paves the way for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), headed by Palestinian official Ali Shaath, to assume administrative responsibilities.
Shaath, head of NCAG, said his committee was "fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available".
"The fundamental requirements for the committee's success are a single authority, a single law with a clear mandate, and a single armed force under the authority of this single entity," Shaath said on X.
Read moreHamas says ready to transfer Gaza governance to Palestinian technocratic committee
The NCAG was established by the Board of Peace, which was in turn set up by US President Donald Trump when he brokered the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last October.
But it has remained based outside Gaza for months, reportedly due to Israeli objections to its entry into the war-devastated territory.
The Board of Peace insisted on X on the "the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG as provided for in the Comprehensive Gaza Peace Plan and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803".
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have held several rounds of talks in Cairo with mediators to narrow differences, particularly over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
The first phase involved the release of the last Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
The transition to the second phase, which was to involve Hamas's disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, has been stalled for months.
Israeli forces have actually expanded their occupation of the territory in recent months, taking control of nearly 70 percent.
Meanwhile, Hamas is demanding the establishment of a Palestinian administration before it will consider handing over any part of its arsenal.
The question of Gaza's post-war governance remains one of the main sticking points in negotiations on implementing phase two.
Israel rejects any return of Hamas to power, but also rejects a direct takeover by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority at this stage.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
