By dissolving the emergency government, the Palestinian group is ending a two-decade era marked by a crippling blockade, successive wars and changing administrative bodies.
Written by: Mohammad Mansour
After twenty years of rule marked by a stifling siege, deep political divisions, and unremitting military conflict, Hamas officially dissolved its Emergency Governing Committee in the Gaza Strip—the body that effectively governed the Palestinian territory.
The move transfers administrative authority to a newly formed technocratic body, marking a historic turning point for the besieged enclave.
The handover of power to the „National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip,” under the internationally-backed „Gaza Peace Accords Council,” officially ends a turbulent era. But analysts say the transition—and its significance—cannot be fully understood without examining the milestones of blockade, targeted destruction, and international political exclusion that preceded it.
2006: Democratic victory and immediate siege
Hamas's rule began on January 26, 2006, when the group won a huge and unexpected majority in the Palestinian parliamentary elections. Hamas won 76 out of 132 seats, defeating the long-ruling Fatah movement, which won only 43 seats.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh tried to reassure the international community that the group was a „mature movement” open to political dialogue, but Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi warned that a victory could lead to international isolation.
His fears were almost immediately confirmed. Instead of political integration, the victory triggered a strict Israeli economic and security blockade in the first half of 2006. When attempts to „absorb” and moderate the group failed, the international system switched to a strict policy of exclusion.
2006–2010: Faction fighting and a strangling blockade
The situation escalated dramatically on June 25, 2006, when Palestinian militants captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israel used this, along with the election results, as justification for tightening the blockade.
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By June 14, after bloody infighting between Palestinian factions, Hamas had taken full military and political control of the Gaza Strip. In response, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the unity government, and Israel imposed a comprehensive land, sea, and air blockade on Gaza. This set the stage for economic collapse: 80 percent of the population was on aid, 80 percent of factories were closed, and tens of thousands lost their jobs.
2014–2023: Changing administrations and attempts at reconciliation
Amid the ongoing siege and repeated Israeli military offensives, Hamas formed an administrative committee in 2014. The „Government Work Monitoring Committee,” established in 2018, has been managing civil and service affairs as a semi-permanent body.
Researcher Mohammad Al-Aila pointed out that Hamas' willingness to hand over civilian rule is not solely a product of the current war. The group has shown willingness to share power in the past, such as calling for general elections (which Abbas canceled in 2021) and signing a 2022 Algiers reconciliation agreement.
But October 2023 changed everything. Hamas led an attack on southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and Palestinian militants taking more than 200 hostages. Israel responded by launching a genocidal war on Gaza, in which more than 70,000 people have since been killed.
2023–2025: War, emergency rule, and targeted killings
After the outbreak of the war, Hamas established the "Emergency Government Committee", which coordinated hospitals, shelters and water supplies. During the war, Israel systematically targeted Gaza's civilian infrastructure and administrative cadres, as well as Hamas leaders. In July 2024, leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, and in March 2025, Israeli forces killed Issam al-Da'alis, head of the Government Work Monitoring Committee.
According to Al-Aila, this was a conscious strategy: Israel systematically destroyed administrative capabilities to create an „administrative vacuum,” which made Gaza more vulnerable to internationally mandated alternative administrative solutions.
2026: The Peace Accord Council, the final handover and the future
Following a ceasefire agreement, the White House approved a transitional administrative structure in January 2026, including the „Gaza Peace Agreement Council” and the technocratic „National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip,” led by engineer Ali Shaath.
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On July 6, the Government Media Center in Gaza announced the official dissolution of the Emergency Government Committee.
Israeli officials are skeptical. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the move a „trick,” arguing that Hamas is trying to copy the „Hezbollah model”: a technocratic government running civil services while the group retains its military might.
Under the interim agreement, some 45,000 state employees in the health, education and internal security sectors will remain in place. Al-Aila warned against dismantling this bureaucratic apparatus under international pressure, warning that replacing professionals would lead to institutional paralysis and social unrest.
He emphasized that while the new National Committee does not advertise itself as a political entity, it was created with American support and with specific political goals. Its success depends on whether they can avoid exclusionary politics and build on the social forces and communities that already exist in Gaza.
