Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Hamas announced on Wednesday that it is prepared to transfer governance of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian technocratic committee, marking a potentially significant step in the post-war political process outlined in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. The group, however, tied the handover to the full and unconditional reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a long-standing demand it considers central to Gaza’s recovery and autonomy.
Speaking to AFP, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said preparations for the transfer of authority were complete. “Protocols are prepared, files are complete, and committees are in place to oversee the handover, ensuring a complete transfer of governance in the Gaza Strip across all sectors to the technocratic committee,” he said.
The handover would place Gaza under the administration of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a 15-member body of Palestinian technocrats created under the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10. The committee is tasked with managing day-to-day civilian governance in the territory after months of devastating war, operating under the supervision of the so-called Board of Peace, which is to be chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The NCAG is led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, and is expected to deploy inside Gaza once the Rafah crossing reopens. Rafah is Gaza’s only exit point to the outside world that does not pass through Israel and is vital for the movement of people, humanitarian aid, and commercial goods.
Qassem stressed that reopening Rafah is not merely procedural but a core political and humanitarian requirement. “The Rafah crossing must be opened in both directions, with full freedom of exit and entry to the Gaza Strip, without any Israeli obstacles,” he said, rejecting any restrictions imposed by Israel.
The crossing has remained largely closed since Israeli forces seized control of it in May 2024, with only a brief and limited reopening in early 2025. Multiple subsequent attempts to resume normal operations failed amid security and political disputes. Last week, NCAG head Ali Shaath announced that Rafah would reopen in both directions in the coming days, raising cautious expectations among Gaza’s population.
Qassem welcomed the committee’s announcement but added that its real test would lie in practice. “What is more important is that we monitor this committee’s handling of citizens’ departures and entries in full freedom in accordance with the agreement, and not according to Israeli conditions,” he said.
Israel, for its part, has said it would only allow pedestrian traffic through Rafah as part of what it described as a “limited reopening,” contingent on the recovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili. Israeli forces announced on Monday that Gvili’s remains had been recovered, and his funeral was held on Wednesday in the southern Israeli town of Meitar.
Following the return of Gvili’s body, Hamas reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement that halted the war triggered by the group’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. “It is clear that Hamas is committed to the agreement to stop the war on the Gaza Strip,” Qassem said, adding that the movement had fulfilled all its obligations under the first phase of the deal and was ready to proceed to the second phase.
That next phase, however, presents the most politically sensitive challenges of the agreement: Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. While Hamas has framed the return of Gvili’s remains as evidence of its seriousness, it has not relinquished its weapons. The group has repeatedly said that disarmament is a red line, though it has hinted it could consider placing its weapons under the authority of a future Palestinian governing body rather than dissolving its armed wing outright.
Israel, meanwhile, has not committed to a clear timeline or mechanism for withdrawing its forces, insisting that any pullout must be linked to long-term security guarantees and the elimination of Hamas’s military capabilities.
As the technocratic committee prepares to assume administrative control and the Rafah crossing edges toward reopening, the ceasefire appears to be entering a decisive stage. Whether these steps translate into lasting stability will depend on unresolved questions of security, sovereignty, and power-sharing that neither side has yet fully addressed.
