Hamas announced Wednesday that it is prepared to transfer governance of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian technocratic committee, emphasizing that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt must be fully reopened without delay.
“Protocols are prepared, files are complete, and committees are in place to oversee the handover, ensuring a complete transfer of governance across all sectors to the technocratic committee,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP.
The 15-member National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was established as part of the US-sponsored ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10. Tasked with managing Gaza’s day-to-day affairs in the post-war period, the committee will operate under the oversight of the so-called “Board of Peace,” chaired by US President Donald Trump.
Led by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, the NCAG is expected to assume its duties once the Rafah crossing reopens. Qassem stressed that the crossing “must be opened in both directions, with full freedom of exit and entry to Gaza, without any Israeli obstacles.” Rafah is Gaza’s only border point that does not connect to Israel and is vital for both people and goods.
The crossing has largely remained closed since Israeli forces assumed control in May 2024, except for a brief reopening in early 2025. Previous efforts to reopen it fully have failed. Shaath recently announced plans to reopen Rafah in both directions the following week.
Qassem described the NCAG’s announcement as significant but stressed the importance of ensuring citizens can pass freely, “in full compliance with the agreement and not under Israeli conditions.” Israel, meanwhile, stated it would allow only pedestrian passage as part of a “limited reopening” after recovering the remains of the last hostage, Ran Gvili. Gvili’s funeral took place on Wednesday in Meitar, southern Israel.
Highlighting Hamas’s commitment to the ceasefire, Qassem said, “It is clear that Hamas has fulfilled all requirements in the first phase and is ready to move into all tracks of the second phase.”
With the technocratic committee poised to take control and the final hostage returned to Israel, the next milestones under the ceasefire agreement include Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
