Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Hamas has announced the dissolution of the government bodies administering the Gaza Strip, clearing the way for the transfer of authority to a committee of independent technocrats, the group’s spokesperson Hazem Qassem said on Saturday. In a statement, Qassem described the move as a “clear decision” and emphasized Hamas’s readiness to facilitate all arrangements necessary for the technocratic committee to assume its duties. He called for the rapid formation of the committee so that it can begin work “as soon as possible.”
The decision follows an agreement reached by Palestinian factions during talks in Cairo on 24 October, which outlined that Gaza’s administration should be handed over to a “Palestinian committee made up of independents and experts (technocrats) from the strip.”
This development also comes in the context of preparations for the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered last year by Cairo, Doha, Ankara, and Washington, and signed in Sharm El-Sheikh in October. The first phase of the deal included an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of captives and detainees, entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a partial Israeli military withdrawal from the enclave.
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued near-daily military operations in Gaza, killing over 400 Palestinians since 10 October. Israel has also maintained strict restrictions on humanitarian aid, with deliveries falling significantly below agreed levels, drawing condemnation from regional states, including Egypt, and international aid agencies.
The second phase of the agreement calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), and the establishment of a “Gaza Peace Board” chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee a transitional administration. A Palestinian technocratic committee will be responsible for day-to-day governance of the territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has cited the failure to recover the remains of the last missing Israeli soldier in Gaza as a reason for delaying the second phase. However, Washington and regional mediators have rejected the delay and pushed for its implementation, with mid-January floated as a potential timeframe for announcing the next phase after nearly 100 days of postponement.
In related developments, Bishara Bahbah, head of the Arab Americans for Peace Committee and a mediator in the Gaza talks, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Trump is expected to announce the formation of the Gaza Peace Board on 13 January, followed shortly by the announcement of the Palestinian technocratic committee during meetings in Cairo. Bahbah stated that the Peace Board would include representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE. He also noted that proposed names for the technocratic committee initially faced Israeli objections but were later approved following visits by Bulgarian politician Nikolay Mladenov, the prospective head of the Peace Board, to Israel and Ramallah last week.
Bahbah added that Hamas leaders have indicated that no negotiations have yet taken place on the issue of disarmament. While the names of the committee members are not yet finalized, they are expected to include Palestinians from Gaza, whether currently residing in the strip or originally from it.
Hamas reiterated its key demands, including a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the reopening of the Rafah crossing in both directions, and the unrestricted flow of goods into the territory.
The announcement coincided with the arrival of a senior Hamas delegation in Cairo on Saturday for a new round of consultations on the second phase of the ceasefire. The delegation is reportedly led by Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, and includes Husam Badran, head of the group’s national relations office. Parallel meetings among Palestinian factions in Cairo aim to reach a consensus on the composition of the Gaza administration committee, which is expected to comprise 15 non-factional Palestinian figures tasked with managing the territory during the transitional period and preparing it for reconstruction.
Other potential members of the delegation include Zaher Jabarin, head of Hamas’s West Bank office, and Khaled Meshaal, head of the group’s bureau abroad.
