Despite Hamas’s stated willingness to hand over authority to a technocratic committee, the terrorist group will not relinquish its power, according to Palestinians familiar with the matter.
“Hamas hasn’t declared an end to its rule in the Gaza Strip,” a senior Palestinian official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. “What they have done is announce the dissolution of what they call the emergency committee. But at the same time, they immediately declared that another temporary governing body would run the [Gaza] Strip and appointed someone to head it.”
Hamas seeks to maintain both its military capabilities and governmental authority in Gaza, the official said.
“They say they want to hand over authority to the technocratic committee, but I believe this is only as part of the discussions in Cairo, because they want to show that they are not the ones impeding the process,” he said. “They want to buy more time, hoping that future circumstances may work to their advantage, possibly as a result of developments between Iran and the United States that could also benefit Gaza.”
How 'one authority, one weapon' principle will be implemented
The most important question is “how the principle of ‘one authority and one weapon’ will be implemented,” the official said, adding that Hamas’s weapons should be removed and handed over to “the authorized Palestinian institutions.”
“Hamas wants its members to be allowed to carry weapons in a way that appears legal under the framework of the new technocratic committee, while in reality, it would continue to guide their actions,” he said.
Resignation doesn't mean collapse of Hamas's rule in Gaza
Another Palestinian told the Post: “The resignation of one or two heads of Hamas’s governmental committee does not mean the collapse of Hamas’s rule in Gaza.”
Hamas wants to highlight this move to demonstrate its readiness to give up its governance, but in truth, it seeks to shift responsibility to the mediators and Israel, he said.
“They also want to secure financial support, knowing that the organization cannot obtain funding or international backing because it lacks legitimacy,” he added. “The new technocratic Palestinian committee is recognized as legitimate, so Hamas is trying to use this arrangement to rebuild its infrastructure and embolden itself in the future.”
He cited Hamas’s demand that its civil servants and some of its personnel be integrated into the technocratic committee’s institutions.
“Hamas’s employees could be the eyes of the organization inside the new administrative body,” he told the Post. “Hamas cannot give them up, because through them it can continue to operate and play a role.”