Hamas says it will dissolve Gaza administration amid stalled US-brokered ceasefire talks
Hamas announced it will hand over Gaza's civil administration to a U.S.-backed technocratic committee, a move analysts say is aimed at pressuring Israel as the cease-fire plan stalls.
Hamas said on Monday it will dissolve its governing body in Gaza and transfer authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic panel created under a U.S.-brokered cease-fire framework. The announcement was made by Ismail al-Thwabta, head of Hamas’ Government Media Office, who said the group is ready to hand over governance but did not address the disarmament clause required in the second phase of the deal.
The move is largely symbolic, as Hamas and its security forces continue to control the portion of Gaza not occupied by Israeli forces. It shifts attention to Israel, where President Donald Trump has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement elements of the agreement, including the establishment of “pilot areas” run by the NCAG.
“We call on all concerned parties to accelerate steps for the NCAG to enter quickly and assume its national and administrative duties, in order to strengthen the steadfastness of our noble Palestinian people and heal their wounds,” al-Thwabta said at Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital.
The Board of Peace, the body overseeing the cease-fire plan, said it had taken note of Hamas’ statement but would wait for concrete actions, reiterating that disarmament remains a core principle.
Experts described the announcement as a tactical effort to pressure Israel and appeal to U.S. mediation. Muhammad Shehada, a Gaza specialist at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Hamas is trying to demonstrate willingness to relinquish all governance functions, while noting that Israel retains ultimate control over the enclave. Michael Milshtein of Tel Aviv University said the step was intended to create a breakthrough and that mediators from Qatar, Turkey and Egypt are seeking to show progress to the United States.
The 20-point cease-fire plan, launched in October, has stalled. While the first phase called for a complete halt to fighting, Israeli strikes have continued, killing over 1,000 people according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The second phase envisions Israel occupying about 70% of the strip and an international force securing areas for NCAG administration, but neither has materialized. Hamas has recently executed a Palestinian accused of collaborating with Israel, underscoring its continued security presence in the unoccupied parts of Gaza.
