Hamas Announces Voluntary Dissolution of Gaza Government Body... Israel Calls It "Stalling for Time"

"Appealing for President Trump's Intervention"

Continued Refusal to Disarm... "Recruiting New Fighters Behind the Scenes"

Associated Press Yonhap News Agency

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that has ruled Gaza for 20 years, announced that it will voluntarily dissolve its own governing body, the Gaza Emergency Committee (GEC). The Israeli side has criticized this move, claiming that Hamas refuses to disarm, continues to recruit new fighters behind the scenes, and is preparing for war, accusing the group of stalling for time.

On July 6 (local time), the Hamas Political Bureau issued a statement saying, "We officially dissolve the GEC, which oversaw Gaza, and Chairman Homamed Al-Fira will also resign. Going forward, we will facilitate a smooth transfer of power to the National Committee for Administrative Governance (NCAG) in Gaza, and all public officials will continue to provide administrative services as usual." The NCAG is a civil administration in Gaza established by the Board of Peace (BOP), which was created last October when U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Until now, Hamas had refused to transfer power to the NCAG and continued to engage in clashes with Israel. However, as Israeli offensives have intensified and civilian casualties in Gaza have mounted, Hamas has changed its strategy. Experts believe that this aligns with President Trump's peace proposal and appears to be an attempt to nudge the U.S. government to pressure Israel into halting its military campaign. CNN reported, "By transferring power to a civilian body in line with the U.S. peace proposal, Hamas is appealing for President Trump to intervene in the conflict with Israel. With Israeli elections scheduled for October and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in urgent need of a relationship with President Trump, it may become increasingly difficult for him to continue his offensive in the face of U.S. pressure."

Hamas also appears to be seeking to include the Gaza conflict issue among the conditions of follow-up negotiations to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) for ending hostilities. According to Al Jazeera, Hamas sent a delegation to the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, which began on July 4. The Hamas delegation reportedly requested that, in the event of follow-up negotiations between Iran and the United States, any agreement should include the cessation of hostilities not only in the Israel-Lebanon conflict but also in Gaza.

However, while Hamas announced the transfer of power, it did not commit to disarmament. The BOP stated in a signed message, "We will evaluate Hamas's announcement of dissolving its governing body based on concrete actions, not promises," emphasizing that "the core principle is that all weapons must be placed under the control of the NCAG."

In Israel, criticism is mounting that Hamas is merely buying time. Citing a government official, Israeli media outlet Ynet pointed out, "Hamas has no real intention of transferring power and continues to refuse to disarm. Behind the scenes, it is recruiting new fighters, ramping up production of missiles and rockets, and preparing for war."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.