The move marks a major political shift for Palestinian group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007 after defeating rival Fatah movement following the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections
GAZA: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 6th, 2026) Hamas on Monday announced the dissolution of the body that had administered the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, paving the way for a technocratic committee to take charge of civilian governance.
The move marks a major political shift for the Palestinian group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007 after defeating the rival Fatah movement following the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.
Since a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect in October 2025, Hamas has repeatedly signalled its willingness to relinquish day-to-day governance. However, the issue of the group's disarmament remains a key obstacle to broader political progress.
A Hamas official confirmed that the head of the emergency government committee, Mohammed al-Farra, had resigned and that the committee had been dissolved to facilitate the transfer of administrative responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
The NCAG, headed by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath, was established under a post-ceasefire framework aimed at overseeing civilian administration in Gaza. The committee has remained outside the enclave for months, reportedly because Israel has not permitted its deployment inside the territory.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the group's decision was intended to remove obstacles to the establishment of a new civilian administration and reaffirmed Hamas's readiness to hand over governmental responsibilities to ensure the committee's successful transition.
According to Hamas officials, the decision was shared with other Palestinian factions during recent talks in Cairo, where it received broad support as a constructive step towards enabling the new administration to assume its role.
Palestinian factions have held several rounds of negotiations in Cairo with regional mediators in an effort to advance the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
While the first phase included the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, negotiations on the second phase have remained deadlocked. The next stage is expected to address Hamas's disarmament and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire framework, Israeli forces have expanded their military presence across much of the territory in recent months.
Hamas has maintained that any discussion regarding its weapons must come after the establishment of a Palestinian administrative authority. The future governance of Gaza remains one of the most contentious issues in ongoing negotiations, with Israel rejecting both a return of Hamas to power and an immediate transfer of authority to the Palestinian Authority.
