Hamas Spokesman Says Group Will Dismantle Government in Gaza
Hamas said Saturday that it will dismantle all governing bodies it operates in the Gaza Strip, a move the group described as a step toward handing administrative control to a technocratic committee now being finalized.
Spokesman Hazem Qassem said the organization made a “clear decision” to end its management of civilian affairs and transfer authority to an independent body agreed upon by Palestinian factions.
Qassem added that the committee’s formal announcement is expected soon, noting that Hamas is preparing to shift responsibilities once its structure is complete. The group has overseen government institutions in Gaza since 2007, when fighting with Fatah left the territory and the West Bank under separate leadership.
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The announcement comes as Egypt prepares to host a Hamas delegation next week to review the second stage of the ceasefire with Israel and complete talks on who will sit on the new administrative team. The ceasefire has been in place since October 2025, with its opening phase covering detainee exchanges, humanitarian shipments, and limited Israeli withdrawals.
Negotiators are now focused on a far more complex phase that calls for full Israeli military withdrawal, disarmament of Hamas, major reconstruction, and the creation of a transitional governing framework. President Donald Trump has urged rapid movement, calling the disarmament requirement central to advancing the agreement.
On Friday, Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh met in Ramallah with Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN Middle East envoy who is expected to assume a senior operational role for the US-backed Board of Peace. Mladenov’s meeting followed earlier talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
Sheikh said on X that the conversation covered “all political and field developments,” with particular attention to Gaza, the transition to the ceasefire’s second phase, and implementation of President Donald Trump’s plan under UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Officials familiar with the process say Mladenov will coordinate directly with the Palestinian technocratic committee being assembled with help from Egypt, the United States, Israel and Palestinian factions.
Washington plans to announce the Board of Peace next week, aiming to finalize its lineup before an initial gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos. US officials and Arab diplomats say early fundraising is expected once the structure is released.
