Hamas announced it's dissolving its government in Gaza and is ready to give the power to a technocratic committee meant to lead under the agreement backed by the Board of Peace.
The announcement, made by head of the government media office Ismail al-Thwabta, does not make any mention of disarmament, which is a key part of the second phase of the agreement.
"We call on all concerned and relevant parties to immediately accelerate the steps for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to enter quickly and assume its national and administrative duties and responsibilities, in order to strengthen the steadfastness of our noble Palestinian people and heal their wounds," al-Thwabta said in a statement.
CNN noted that any lack of mention about the willingness to disarm does little to change the reality on the ground, considering that Hamas maintains security control in the part of Gaza that is not controlled by Israel.
Elsewhere in the statement, al-Thwabta said the group made "all administrative and legal preparations and arrangements" to hand over control of the government. However, it noted that its members would be considered state employees.
The Board of Peace said in a social media statement that it has "taken note" of the statement but will wait for "actions, not promises." It also called on Hamas to disarm, saying that the "core principle remains one authority, one law and one weapon."
However, a recent report from Israeli public broadcaster Kan said Hamas is actually rearming in Gaza and preparing for war.
The unsourced report claimed that the group has been reportedly recruiting new members and producing hundreds of explosive devices and anti-tank missiles every month. It has also resumed training for members of its elite force, Nukhba, and rebuilding underground infrastructure that was destroyed by the IDF over the war.
"Nobody is threatening it, and the organization is unwilling to give up control of Gaza," officers said in their warning to Zamir.
As a result, officials believe that Israel should resume the war in Gaza, but the U.S. is opposing such a possibility as it prefers to preserve the status quo and try to advance the Board of Peace initiative. The group said it had days of "highly productive" meetings in Cyprus last week and the technocratic government will take over "once the right conditions are met." It did not specify which those conditions are.
