Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Transfers Power to UN-Backed Committee
Hamas, the group that governs Gaza, announced on Monday that it has dissolved its government and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations. This move is part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal that ended nine months of war.
The announcement was made by Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office. He stated that only technical and professional staff would remain in their positions to run the enclave's day-to-day affairs. All employees working in service provision are state employees and are prepared to work under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, he said.
The committee of technocrats, based in Cairo, is chaired by Ali Shaath, a Gaza-born engineer and former official with the Palestinian Authority. Its mandate is to restore essential services and oversee civilian affairs under the supervision of the UN and the Board of Peace, a new entity led by US President Donald Trump.
The Board of Peace acknowledged the announcement but said it would assess the impact based on actions, not promises. It stressed that the technocratic committee must control all weapons in Gaza, as laid out in the ceasefire agreement.
Israel dismissed the announcement as irrelevant. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said that the alleged resignation of the Hamas government, where all Hamas members stay in their positions, is a spin with no significance.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem called the decision a positive step forward to implement the ceasefire deal. However, the group did not specify whether it would disarm or hand over security to an international force.
The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2023, followed the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 73,098 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is staffed by medical professionals and whose records are considered reliable by UN agencies. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up about half of all fatalities.
Since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes have lessened but continue almost daily. On Monday, Israeli strikes killed at least five people in Gaza, including three in Khan Younis and two in Gaza City. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas operative and a militant from Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Militants have also carried out shooting attacks against Israeli troops, with five Israeli soldiers killed since the ceasefire.
