Hamas Dissolves, Transfers Govt in Gaza07/07 06:03

   The Hamas militant group said Monday it had dissolved its government in Gaza 
and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the 
United Nations as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal.

   DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) -- The Hamas militant group said Monday it 
had dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a 
technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a U.S.-brokered 
ceasefire deal.

   Hamas did not say whether it planned to take the crucial step of disarming 
or handing over security to an international force, but described its decision 
as evidence of its commitment to Gaza's reconstruction after years of war.

   It was unclear if the move, announced by a lower-level official, would lead 
to any meaningful change on the ground.

   The Board of Peace, the new entity led by President Donald Trump with the 
mandate of governing and rebuilding Gaza, said it was aware of the Hamas 
announcement but would assess the impact based on "actions, not promises." The 
board stressed in a statement on X that the technocratic committee must control 
all weapons in Gaza, as laid out in the ceasefire agreement.

   At a news conference Monday, Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the 
Hamas-run Government Media Office, said "only technical and professional staff" 
would remain in their positions to run the Palestinian enclave's day-to-day 
affairs.

   "All employees working in service provision are 'state employees' and are 
fully prepared to work under the National Committee for the Administration of 
Gaza," al-Thawabta said during a news conference in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa 
Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem called it "a 
positive step forward on the path to implement the ceasefire deal."

   Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the move, saying it was 
designed to avoid disarmament. "As long as Hamas retains its weapons, any 
civilian government will of course operate as Hamas dictates," he wrote on X.

   The committee of technocrats, which is based in Cairo, is chaired by Ali 
Shaath, a Gaza-born engineer and former official with the Palestinian 
Authority. It has a mandate to restore essential services and oversee civilian 
affairs under the supervision of the U.N. and the Board of Peace.

   In a statement on X, Shaath acknowledged the Hamas announcement Monday and 
said that in order for the committee to function effectively, there must be "a 
single governing authority operating under one legal framework" and "a unified 
security apparatus accountable to that authority."

   Nine months after the ceasefire was signed, negotiations between Israel and 
Hamas remain largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, 
including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.

   Hamas has insisted on implementing the first phase before moving to discuss 
its weapons.

   The Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants that sparked the war killed 
some 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. Israel's 
retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 73,098 Palestinians, according to 
Gaza's Health Ministry.

   The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical 
professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by 
U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between 
civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all 
fatalities.

   Israeli strikes have lessened considerably since the ceasefire took effect 
on Oct. 10, but they continue almost daily. Israel's military says it targets 
Hamas and other militants, often asserting they were planning attacks. The 
strikes have also killed many civilians.

   On Monday, Israeli strikes killed at least five people in Gaza, including 
three in Khan Younis in the south and two in an apartment in Gaza City, health 
officials said.

   The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas operative in the Gaza City 
strike and a militant from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group in the 
attacks in Khan Younis.

   Militants have carried out shooting attacks against Israeli troops in Gaza, 
and five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire. ___

   Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this 
report.