Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Cedes Power to NCAG
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- Hamas dissolved its Gaza government after nearly two decades in power, announcing the resignation of head of administration Mohammed al-Farra and transferring authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body backed by the UN.
- The move comes as the US-backed peace process has stalled, with Israel continuing to control about 70% of the Gaza Strip, at least 1,005 people killed since the October 2025 ceasefire, and a total death toll of 73,098 since October 2023.
- The NCAG, formed in January 2026 under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and led by Acting Commissioner Ali Abdel Hamid Shaath, is temporarily headquartered in Cairo because Israel has not allowed members to enter Gaza; it reports to a High Commissioner on Trump's Board of Peace, with the Palestinian Authority expected to take over tentatively in 2027.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the move as a "trick," accusing Hamas of trying to replicate the "Hezbollah model" — a technocratic administration handling municipal services while Hamas retains dominant military force — and insisting on full Hamas disarmament and Gaza demilitarization.
- NCAG chief Shaath said the committee stands ready to assume governance but only if "fundamental" conditions are in place, including a single governing authority with a clear mandate and a unified, accountable security apparatus.
Why it matters: If Israel continues blocking NCAG members from entering Gaza, Hamas's concession becomes symbolic — Israel called it a "trick" and is holding out for disarmament, which Hamas did not explicitly address, leaving the ceasefire's core impasse unresolved.
