What's behind Hamas's move to dissolve Gaza government
Hamas plans to hand over civil administration in the Gaza Strip. Observers see this as a potential impetus for the peace process, but without disarmament
Hamas plans to hand over civil administration in the Gaza Strip. Observers see this as a potential impetus for the peace process, but without disarmament and Israeli withdrawal, the political transition remains stalled. Early this week, Hamas, the militant group which controls the Gaza Strip, announced that it would dissolve its government and hand over administrative authority after almost two decades in power. The group said the move is intended to pave the way for the Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which is set to take over civilian administration as part of the US-brokered peace plan from October 2025. However, it remains controversial whether the announcement actually marks a political turning point or is primarily symbolic. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar immediately reacted with skepticism, stating that as long as Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany, the European Union, the US, and other countries, retains its weapons, any civilian government will ultimately act according to Hamas's directives. Saar also reiterated that the complete disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip remain prerequisites for political reorganization. After rising to power in Gaza in 2007, Hamas announced to hand over power after almost 20 years Image: Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance Neither symbolism nor a relinquishment of power Many observers see this step as neither mere symbolism nor a genuine relinquishment of power, but rather as an attempt to revive the political process, which has been stalled for months, without committing to disarmament just yet. In October 2025, the US peace plan had already outlined a new administration consisting of independent technocrats.
The NCAG, a transitional body made up of Palestinian experts the Board of Peace established by Donald Trumpoversees, began its work in January 2026. However, its members still remain in Cairo, Egypt, awaiting permission to enter Gaza. For Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, an Islamic studies scholar who teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, it is not so much the formal dissolution of the Hamas government as its political message that is decisive. "With its unusually restrained public appearance, Hamas wanted to signal that the group was not to blame for the lack of political progress," Fuchs told DW. He said that unlike in earlier public appearances, Hamas deliberately refrained from any hostile displays and sought to convey the impression that it is adhering to the US-brokered peace plan and is prepared to move forward with it. Israel says Hamas armed wing chief killed To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kickstarting Gaza's transition process Under the peace plan, the technocratic transitional administration was supposed to have begun its work, and Israel was supposed to have gradually withdrawn its troops from the Gaza Strip. "In fact, the opposite has happened," said Fuchs. Israel has more control over the Gaza Strip today than it did a few months ago. That is why Fuchs sees Hamas's statement as an attempt "to break out of this deadlock and get the political process moving again." The Washington Institute, a think tank, noted as early as February that the transfer of civilian administration to a technocratic transitional government had been part of the US peace plan from the outset.
The BriefWire