GAZA CITY, PALESTINE / ISTANBUL

Palestinian group Hamas said Thursday it is prepared to facilitate the transfer of administrative responsibilities in the Gaza Strip to an independent committee, underlining that it does not intend to be part of any future governance arrangements in the territory.

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the group is awaiting the formation of a committee of independents to oversee the administration of Gaza across various sectors, noting that the proposal has already received the backing of Hamas and other Palestinian factions.

He said the movement would ease the handover process and support the committee’s work, stressing that Hamas had long decided to stay outside any administrative framework for running the enclave.

The remarks come against the backdrop of decisions adopted at an emergency Arab summit on Gaza in March 2024, which rejected any form of forced displacement of Palestinians and endorsed Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan as a unified Arab initiative.

The plan envisions the creation of a temporary administrative committee to run Gaza during a six-month transitional period. The body would be independent, made up of non-factional technocrats, and operate under the authority of the Palestinian government, an arrangement Hamas welcomed at the time.

Hamas’ statement also followed reports by the Israeli news website Times of Israel that US President Donald Trump is expected to unveil the second phase of his Gaza proposal next week, despite reported Israeli reservations.

The report said Trump plans to announce the establishment of a “peace council” and other governing bodies tasked with administering Gaza after a delay of several weeks.

Trump unveiled a 20-point plan on Sept. 29, 2025, aimed at ending the Israeli war in Gaza. The proposal included a ceasefire, the release of Israeli captives, Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave, the formation of a technocratic administration, and the deployment of an international stabilization force, alongside a call to disarm Hamas.

On Nov. 18, 2025, the UN Security Council adopted a US-backed resolution allowing for the deployment of a temporary international force in Gaza through the end of 2027 to help maintain stability under a unified command approved by the council.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on Oct. 10, the Israeli army has committed hundreds of violations, killing 424 Palestinians and wounding 1,189 others, according to the Health Ministry.

The ceasefire halted Israel’s two-year war that killed nearly 71,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, injured more than 171,200 others since October 2023, and left the enclave in ruins.