Palestinians on Thursday were divided over the prospects of success for the newly established technocratic committee, which is supposed to assume responsibility for rebuilding Gaza and replace the Hamas government.
While some Palestinians welcomed the formation of the committee and said it could mark the beginning of a new era, heralding the end of Hamas’s rule over the enclave, others predicted that the terrorist group would try to obstruct the work of the new US-backed body.
“Hamas is finished,” a Palestinian Authority official told The Jerusalem Post. “They understand that they no longer have legitimacy.”
The official, nonetheless, warned that Hamas would do its utmost to maintain its presence in Gaza.
“We will not let them interfere with the work of the administrative body,” he said. “The committee members won’t allow Hamas to turn them into its puppets. These are professional technocrats, each with expertise in their field, who will make a big effort to implement the next phase for rehabilitation in the Strip.”
Despite the note of optimism, the official estimated that the Gaza-based committee’s chances of succeeding were “ fifty-fifty.”
“We can’t be 100% optimistic, but we also can’t be 100% pessimistic,” he said. “Everyone wants to see Hamas gone. The international mediators, the Trump administration, and we ourselves don’t want Hamas to play any role in the management of Gaza.”
Committee to hold discussions in Cairo
According to reports in Arab media, the 15-member committee is scheduled to hold a series of discussions in Cairo soon to prepare for assuming its duties. Established in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas War, the administrative Palestinian committee is tasked with managing day-to-day affairs of Gaza’s residents. This includes addressing humanitarian needs, removal of rubble, water and sewage, and other civic services.
Its most prominent members are Ali Shaath, a former PA deputy minister, and Sami Nasman, who previously served as a PA intelligence officer. Shaath is expected to head the committee, while Nasman will be in charge of security.
Although Hamas has publicly said it would hand over its ministries and other institutions to the new governing body, some Palestinians remain skeptical.
“I doubt if Hamas would ever step down,” a West Bank-based Palestinian political analyst told the Post.
“Hamas may not hinder the committee’s work, but it will quietly try to create its own shadow government,” he said.
“Hamas does not want to be held responsible for foiling reconstruction efforts in Gaza,” he added. “They don’t want to anger Trump.”
The analyst warned that if a Hamas shadow government starts operating in Gaza, it could plunge the enclave into chaos and infighting. He and others cited the dispute that erupted between Hamas and the PA after the 2006 parliamentary elections, which Hamas won. A year later, Hamas staged a violent coup that ended the PA’s rule over Gaza.
A resident of Gaza City expressed hope that Trump’s plan would bring about positive changes.
“It seems that the Trump administration is very serious about changing the reality on the ground,” he told the Post. “The presence of a new Palestinian security force and international troops in Gaza will encourage people to speak out against Hamas.