Hamas dissolves Gaza governing body but retains weapons, critics say
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Hamas announced Monday that it would disband the emergency committee overseeing Gaza’s civilian government; It’s a move that could pave the way for a new US-backed administration to take over civilian affairs.
The proposed body, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), is a US-backed committee aimed at overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza after the war.
Hamas, which the United States defines as a foreign terrorist organization, has ruled Gaza since seizing control of the region in 2007. The group led the war-triggering attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with Israel insisting that Hamas could have no administrative or military role in post-war Gaza.
The announcement could therefore be a major test of President Donald Trump’s framework for Gaza and broader regional diplomacy. A genuine transfer of power could help establish postwar governance. But critics of Israel and Hamas say the group is offering to give up the burdens of civilian government while retaining its weapons, security apparatus and real influence on the ground.
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Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kasim and Director of the Government’s Gaza Media Office Ismail El Sawabta made a press statement following the announcement that the head of the Government Emergency Committee resigned and the committee was dissolved within the scope of the transfer of administration in the Gaza Strip to the National Gaza Administration Committee on July 6, 2026. (Jusoor News)
The Trump-led Peace Board responded cautiously, saying the assessment would be “guided by actions, not words.” The technocratic committee, currently based outside Gaza, has said it is ready to begin operations when conditions allow.
But the announcement did not include Hamas’ commitment to disarmament, a key demand from Israel and a key element of Trump’s postwar framework.
Gazan teacher and political activist Alaa Abo Naddi said the committee disbanded by Hamas was never the source of its real authority.
“I believe this is just an attempt by Hamas to buy time,” Abo Naddi said. “The real question has always been whether Hamas is willing to lay down its weapons and disband the armed groups and militias under its control.” AJS: Maybe I can move this to the fourth chart.
He said civilian authorities in Gaza have long operated without independent authority and remain dependent on Hamas’ security apparatus.
“In reality, even a low-ranking Hamas security official can overrule them or have them arrested,” he said. “This appears to be an attempt to maintain control and buy more time as long as Hamas retains its weapons.”
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US President Donald Trump holds the agreement signed between Israel and Hamas regarding the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire on October 13, 2025, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Hadeel Oueis, editor-in-chief of pan-Arab media outlet Jusoor News, similarly described the announcement as a “performative step” likely instigated by one of Hamas’ regional supporters.
Oueis said the move was intended to send a message to Trump that Hamas had fulfilled its obligations and that Israel was now responsible for blocking the next phase of its plan.
“It’s just a show and it doesn’t really change anything,” Oueis told Fox News Digital.
She noted that technical employees are expected to remain in place during the transition, arguing that Hamas would therefore remain the de facto authority unless its security and military structures were removed.
Michael Milshtein, director of the Palestine Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center, also called the purge largely symbolic but said its timing could indicate a broader diplomatic effort.
Milstein said Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye were working with Hamas to develop a compromise that would move forward the stalled post-war arrangement, especially on disarmament.
Rather than demanding the immediate and full surrender of Hamas’ weapons, he said, mediators may be pushing for a gradual and partial process that Hamas could accept.
“I think the step that Hamas is taking today is part of a coordinated move with Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt and is aimed at starting to advance a broader arrangement,” Milshtein told Fox News Digital. he said.
He said Hamas could argue that it had effectively thrown the ball into Israel’s court and had now agreed to give up formal government control.
EXPERTS STATE THE IMPACT OF HAMAS ON GAZA ELECTIONS THAT THE VOTES MAY BACKBACK.
A Palestinian man collects food from a humanitarian aid distribution point in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on Sunday, July 20, 2025. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected that distinction on Tuesday, accusing Hamas of trying to reproduce the model used by Hezbollah in Lebanon, where civilian institutions carry out government services while an armed organization maintains military dominance.
“If Hamas remains the dominant military force, they don’t care if others collect garbage, provide municipal services and manage civil affairs,” Sa’ar said in a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. he said.
Sa’ar said Israel would continue to insist on “the disarmament and complete demilitarization of Hamas and all other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.”
Wadephul supported this stance, saying Hamas should give up both its weapons and its de facto control over Gaza.
The United Nations also gave a cautiously positive response.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the organization had taken into consideration Hamas’s proposal to dissolve the Government Emergency Committee and transfer administrative responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
“We welcome any steps that contribute to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and advance the objectives reflected in relevant Security Council resolutions, including the full implementation of the ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance,” Dujarric said. he said.
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Hamas terrorists have been on guard duty since the deadly attack on October 7, 2023, as part of a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, on the day of the hostage surrender in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on February 22, 2025. (Hatem Khalid/Reuters)
He added that the UN continues to support “efforts towards unified Palestinian governance under the Palestinian Authority.”
The real test, Milstein said, will be whether the National Committee for Gaza Administration will be allowed to enter Gaza, operate independently and exercise real authority, while Hamas will give up not only its civilian role but also its security and military control.
