Hamas says it will dissolve Gaza government, but Israel warns group still seeks Hezbollah-style control

Hamas announced Monday that it was dissolving the exigency committee overseeing Gaza's civilian government, a determination that could wide the mode for a caller U.S.-backed medication to instrumentality implicit civilian affairs.

The projected body, known arsenic the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), is simply a U.S.-backed committee intended to oversee civilian affairs successful Gaza aft the war. 

Hamas, which the U.S. designates arsenic a overseas violent organization, has ruled Gaza since seizing power of the territory successful 2007. The radical led the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel that triggered the war, and Israel has insisted Hamas tin person nary governing oregon subject relation successful post-war Gaza.

The announcement could truthful go a cardinal trial of President Donald Trump’s Gaza model and broader determination diplomacy. A genuine transportation of powerfulness could assistance beforehand the constitution of a post-war administration. But Israel and Hamas’ critics accidental the radical is offering to relinquish the burdens of civilian authorities portion retaining its weapons, information apparatus and existent power connected the ground.

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Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem and Director of the Government Media Office successful Gaza Ismail Al-Thawabta present a property connection pursuing the announcement that the caput of the Government Emergency Committee had resigned and the committee had been dissolved arsenic portion of the transportation of governance successful the Gaza Strip to the National Gaza Administration Committee, July 6, 2026. (Jusoor News)

The Trump-led Board of Peace responded cautiously, saying its appraisal would beryllium "guided by actions, not promises." The technocratic committee, which is presently based extracurricular Gaza, has said it is prepared to statesman operating erstwhile conditions allow.

But the announcement did not see a committedness by Hamas to disarm, the cardinal request from Israel and a halfway constituent of Trump’s post-war framework.

Alaa Abo Naddi, a Gazan teacher and governmental activist, said that the committee Hamas is dissolving was ne'er the root of its existent authority.

"I judge this is simply an effort by Hamas to bargain time," Abo Naddi said. "The existent question has ever been whether Hamas is consenting to springiness up its weapons and dismantle the equipped groups and militias nether its control." 

He said Gaza’s civilian officials person agelong operated without autarkic authorization and stay subordinate to Hamas’ information apparatus.

"In reality, adjacent a low-ranking Hamas information serviceman tin overrule them oregon person them arrested," helium said. "As agelong arsenic Hamas retains its arms, this looks similar an effort to sphere its power and summation much time."

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U.S. President Donald Trump holds the signed statement of the archetypal signifier of the Gaza ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas, successful Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Hadeel Oueis, editor-in-chief of the pan-Arab media outlet Jusoor News, likewise described the announcement arsenic a "performative step" apt encouraged by 1 of Hamas’ determination backers.

Oueis said the determination appeared intended to nonstop Trump a connection that Hamas had fulfilled its obligations and that Israel was present liable for blocking the adjacent signifier of his plan.

"This is conscionable a amusement and doesn’t alteration thing connected the crushed successful reality," Oueis told Fox News Digital. 

She noted that method employees are expected to stay successful spot during the transition, arguing that Hamas would truthful stay the de facto authorization unless its information and subject structures were removed.

Michael Milshtein, caput of the Palestinian Studies Forum astatine Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center, besides characterized the dissolution arsenic mostly symbolic but said its timing could awesome a broader diplomatic effort.

Milshtein said Egypt, Qatar and Turkey person been moving with Hamas to make a compromise that could determination the stalled post-war statement forward, peculiarly connected the contented of disarmament.

Rather than demanding the contiguous and implicit surrender of Hamas’ weapons, helium said the mediators whitethorn beryllium pushing for a gradual and partial process that Hamas could accept.

"I measure that the measurement Hamas took contiguous is portion of a determination coordinated with Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, intended to statesman advancing the broader arrangement," Milshtein told Fox News Digital.

He said Hamas had efficaciously thrown the shot into Israel’s tribunal and could present reason that it had agreed to relinquish ceremonial authorities control.

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A Palestinian antheral collects nutrient from a humanitarian assistance organisation constituent successful Beit Lahia, bluish Gaza, connected Sunday, July 20, 2025.  (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected that favoritism Tuesday, accusing Hamas of trying to reproduce the exemplary utilized by Hezbollah successful Lebanon, wherever an equipped enactment maintains subject dominance portion civilian institutions grip authorities services.

"They don’t attraction if others cod the garbage, supply municipal services and administer civilian affairs, if Hamas volition stay the ascendant subject force," Sa’ar said during a gathering with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

Sa’ar said Israel would proceed to importune connected the "disarmament of Hamas and each different violent organizations successful the Gaza Strip, and its afloat demilitarization."

Wadephul backed that position, saying Hamas indispensable relinquish some its weapons and its de facto power of Gaza.

The United Nations besides offered a cautiously affirmative response.

U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the enactment had taken enactment of Hamas’ announcement concerning the dissolution of the Government Emergency Committee and the projected transportation of administrative responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

"We invited immoderate measurement that contributes to the implementation of the ceasefire statement and advances the objectives reflected successful applicable Security Council resolutions, including the afloat implementation of the ceasefire, the extortion of civilians, and the unhindered proviso of humanitarian aid," Dujarric said.

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Hamas terrorists basal defender connected the time of the handover of hostages held successful Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023, attack, arsenic portion of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap woody betwixt Hamas and Israel, successful Rafah successful the confederate Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

He added that the U.N. continued to enactment "efforts toward unified Palestinian governance nether the Palestinian Authority."

Milshtein said the existent trial would beryllium whether the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is allowed to participate Gaza, run independently and workout genuine authority, portion Hamas gives up not lone its civilian relation but besides its information and subject control.