GAZA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hamas announced on Saturday that it has decided to dissolve all its government bodies in the Gaza Strip, in preparation for handing over responsibilities to an independent administrative committee currently being formed.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement that it made a "clear decision" to end all governmental entities overseeing affairs in Gaza and transfer their duties to an independent technocratic committee.
On Thursday, Qassem said that Hamas is awaiting the formal announcement of the committee that will be responsible for managing various sectors in the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Hamas and other Palestinian factions on its establishment.
Since 2007, Hamas has run government institutions in Gaza following fighting with Fatah, which runs the West Bank. The result led to the coastal enclave, home to more than two million people, being governed separately.
According to sources within Hamas, Cairo is scheduled to host a Hamas delegation next week to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Israel and to finalize a consensus on the members of the administrative committee.
A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been in effect since October 2025. Its first phase included an exchange of prisoners and detainees, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from some areas of the Gaza Strip.
The proposed second phase includes a complete military withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, the launch of large-scale reconstruction, and the formation of a transitional governing body to administer the enclave.
In December 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump said he intended to push for the rapid implementation of the second phase, stressing that the disarmament of Hamas is a key condition for moving forward with the agreement. ■
