Hamas dissolves its government in Gaza to transfer power to a UN-backed
committee
[July 07, 2026]
By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group said Monday it
had dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power
to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a
U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal.
Hamas did not say whether it planned to take the crucial step of
disarming or handing over security to an international force, but
described its decision as evidence of its commitment to Gaza’s
reconstruction after years of war.
It was unclear if the move, announced by a lower-level official, would
lead to any meaningful change on the ground.
The Board of Peace, the new entity led by President Donald Trump with
the mandate of governing and rebuilding Gaza, said it was aware of the
Hamas announcement but would assess the impact based on “actions, not
promises.” The board stressed in a statement on X that the technocratic
committee must control all weapons in Gaza, as laid out in the ceasefire
agreement.
At a news conference Monday, Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the
Hamas-run Government Media Office, said “only technical and professional
staff” would remain in their positions to run the Palestinian enclave’s
day-to-day affairs.
“All employees working in service provision are ‘state employees’ and
are fully prepared to work under the National Committee for the
Administration of Gaza,” al-Thawabta said during a news conference in
the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Hamas spokesperson
Hazem Qassem called it “a positive step forward on the path to implement
the ceasefire deal.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the move, saying it was
designed to avoid disarmament. “As long as Hamas retains its weapons,
any civilian government will of course operate as Hamas dictates,” he
wrote on X.
The committee of technocrats, which is based in Cairo, is chaired by Ali
Shaath, a Gaza-born engineer and former official with the Palestinian
Authority. It has a mandate to restore essential services and oversee
civilian affairs under the supervision of the U.N. and the Board of
Peace.
In a statement on X, Shaath acknowledged the Hamas announcement Monday
and said that in order for the committee to function effectively, there
must be “a single governing authority operating under one legal
framework” and “a unified security apparatus accountable to that
authority.”
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Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the Hamas-run government
media office, speaks during a press conference at Al-Aqsa Hospital
in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP
Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Nine months after the ceasefire was signed, negotiations between Israel
and Hamas remain largely deadlocked over the implementation of its
second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction
of Gaza.
Hamas has insisted on implementing the first phase before moving to
discuss its weapons.
The Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants that sparked the war
killed some 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 73,098 Palestinians,
according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical
professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally
reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not
distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children
make up around half of all fatalities.
Israeli strikes have lessened considerably since the ceasefire took
effect on Oct. 10, but they continue almost daily. Israel’s military
says it targets Hamas and other militants, often asserting they were
planning attacks. The strikes have also killed many civilians.
On Monday, Israeli strikes killed at least five people in Gaza,
including three in Khan Younis in the south and two in an apartment in
Gaza City, health officials said.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas operative in the Gaza City
strike and a militant from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group
in the attacks in Khan Younis.
Militants have carried out shooting attacks against Israeli troops in
Gaza, and five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.
___
Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this
report.
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