Key facts
- Hamas has dissolved its governing body in the Gaza Strip.
- A UN-backed technocratic committee, the NCAG, is to assume civilian rule.
- Experts suggest the move is a signal to Donald Trump's peace plan.
- The UN welcomed the dissolution as a step toward ceasefire objectives.
- Israel dismissed the announcement as 'spin' and reiterated calls for demilitarization.
Hamas announced on Monday the dissolution of its governing body in the Gaza Strip, a move interpreted by experts as a signal to U.S. President Donald Trump that the group is not an obstacle to his peace plan. The dissolution aims to pave the way for a UN-backed technocratic committee, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), to assume civilian rule. Hamas has governed Gaza for nearly two decades since 2006.
Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas's government media office, stated the administrative committee would be dissolved to facilitate the transition to the NCAG. Experts like Khaled Elgindy suggest Hamas is positioning itself as more amenable to relinquishing civilian governance than the Palestinian Authority, signaling to Trump that Hamas is not the impediment to his peace deal. The NCAG, based in Cairo, is intended to govern daily affairs as part of a peace deal brokered by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, emphasizing the need for a single authority, law, and armed force.
The United Nations has taken note of the dissolution, with spokesperson Stephane Dujarric welcoming any step that contributes to the ceasefire agreement and advances Security Council objectives. The UN supports unified Palestinian governance under the Palestinian Authority. However, Israel dismissed the announcement, with an Israeli official calling it 'spin that has no significance' and reiterating calls for Gaza's complete demilitarization. The Board of Peace, led by President Donald Trump, acknowledged the decision and stressed that the NCAG must control all weapons in Gaza.