Hamas claims it is ready to cede Gaza governance

The militant group is supposed to relinquish control of the enclave and disarm under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan

Hamas has said that it is ready to fully hand over governance of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee under US President Donald Trump's peace plan.

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was created as part of a shaky ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel backed by Washington, which came into effect late last year.

“All ministries, agencies, and departments, even in the security sector, are ready to hand over all files to the independent committee,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP in an interview published on Wednesday.

“The committee will then enter the Gaza Strip. The handover process will follow,” he said, claiming that all the groundwork for a total transfer of governance of the Palestinian enclave has been prepared.

Hamas is now “ready to enter all tracks of the second phase” of Trump’s peace plan, Qassem added.

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The militant group’s handover of control and its disarmament is envisioned as the next step in the US president’s roadmap for settling the Hamas-Israel conflict and rebuilding of Gaza.

A day earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that West Jerusalem will not allow the reconstruction of the mostly destroyed enclave to begin until Hamas fully disarms.

“Israel will maintain security control” over both Gaza and the West Bank, he added, reiterating that he will not allow the formation of a Palestinian state.

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According to Trump’s peace plan, day-to-day governance in Gaza is expected to be carried out by the NCAG, a team of 15 Palestinian technocrats. The body is to work under the leadership of a “Board of Peace,” chaired by the US president.

Despite the Trump-backed ceasefire agreement, both Israel and Hamas have routinely accused each other of violations. The armistice paused a conflict which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage. West Jerusalem responded with a blockade and military operation against Gaza, which has killed nearly 72,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.