Disarming Hamas is the „trickier” problem to solve, while Israel is increasingly entrenching itself in Gaza and the ceasefire is stalled.
Hamas' decision to dissolves the Gaza government, a message to US President Donald Trump that the organization wants to signal that they are not an obstacle to the president's stalled peace plan for the region, experts said. Middle East Eyefor.
Hamas announced on Monday the dissolution of the body that has governed the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades. „The head of the government’s emergency committee, Mohammed al-Farra, has officially submitted his resignation,” Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas’s government media office, told AFP. „In addition, he decided to dissolve the committee in order to facilitate the administrative and governmental transition to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG),” he added.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2006, when it won a majority in the Palestinian legislature and formed a cabinet. Shortly thereafter, fighting broke out between Hamas and its secular rival, Fatah. Hamas consolidated its power in Gaza, while Fatah consolidated its power in the West Bank through the Palestinian Authority.
„Hamas is signaling to Trump that they are not an obstacle to his peace plan, unlike Israel, which bombs and kills every day,” Khaled Elgindy, senior fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington, told MEE. „Hamas is actually much more willing to relinquish civilian governance in Gaza to the NCAG than the Palestinian Authority is,” Elgindy added, referring to Hamas’s rival, which has limited governmental authority in the occupied West Bank. „This move is not surprising or unexpected, but it is noteworthy,” he added.
The NCAG is a committee of Palestinian technocrats in Gaza that is tasked with running day-to-day affairs in the enclave as part of a peace plan brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt in September 2025. The plan aims to end Israel's genocide in the enclave, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians. The committee has so far been unable to enter Gaza and currently operates from Cairo.
Israeli violations Meanwhile, Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, killing more than 1,000 people since the ceasefire was signed. Israel has restricted aid to the strip and in recent months has expanded its military presence, taking control of nearly 70 percent of Gaza.
„Hamas wants to remove the pretext for Israel to continue its assault on Gaza.” – Khaled Elgindy, Quincy Institute
Trump's "Peace Council" did not condemn Israel's continued attacks and land seizures in Gaza. Israel Hayom According to the Israeli daily, the council is also overseeing a plan to direct Palestinians to „Hamas-free humanitarian zones.” The council said it „took note” of Hamas’s decision and urged „the transfer of all weapons under a single, NCAG-controlled entity.”.
The NCAG has said it is ready to take over civilian governance over Gaza. „We confirm that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available,” Ali Shaath, the committee’s head, wrote on X. „The essential requirements for the success of the committee are a single authority, a single legislature with a clear mandate, and a single armed force under the authority of a single entity,” he added.
Israel responded to Hamas's announcement by demanding the "complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip." Under the 2025 peace plan, Hamas has agreed to disarm while Israel withdraws from the strip. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly stated that Israel plans to increase its territorial control over Gaza.
Elgindy told MEE that Hamas' announcement was intended to demonstrate its good faith in the peace plan while deferring the "trickier" issue of demilitarization. "Hamas wants to remove the pretext for Israel to continue its assault on Gaza. But Netanyahu wants a permanent war, and the issue of Hamas' weapons is the more sensitive issue," he added.
