On Monday, the Trump-led Board of Peace insisted that the incoming Palestinian technocratic committee must control all weapons in Gaza, reacting to Hamas’s announcement that it had dissolved its territory-ruling body. US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace said Monday that the Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with governing Gaza must control all weapons, shortly after Hamas announced it had dissolved the body that ruled the territory.

“The core principle remains one authority, one law and one weapon. This means the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG (National Committee for the Administration of Gaza).” — Board of Peace, statement on X

The NCAG, currently based in Cairo, was created by the Board of Peace, which Trump established when he brokered the Gaza ceasefire in October 2025. In a move widely viewed as a tactical ploy rather than a genuine relinquishment of power, Hamas announced on Monday that it has dissolved its de facto governing body in Gaza — the so-called Emergency Committee — paving the way for a handover of civil administration to a technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

The announcement, delivered by Hamas Government Media Office head Ismail al-Thawabta, comes amid stalled implementation of the second phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and reconstruction plan. It marks the first formal step by the Iran-backed terrorist organization to exit day-to-day civilian governance after nearly 19 years of disastrous rule since its violent 2007 takeover of the Strip from the Palestinian Authority.

Yet the Board of Peace — the international body established under President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Gaza Peace Plan and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 — made clear it will judge the development strictly by concrete deeds, not rhetoric.

“Our assessment will be guided by actions, not promises,” the Board stated, emphasizing the need for the NCAG to assume full, independent governing authority, including the consolidation of all weapons under technocratic control. The Board looks forward to advancing implementation mechanisms that deliver real services, reconstruction, and stability to Gaza’s long-suffering population.

A Legacy of Failure and Terror

Hamas’s decision to step back from formal civilian administration arrives after years of catastrophic mismanagement. Since seizing Gaza, the group prioritized building an extensive military infrastructure — including hundreds of kilometers of attack tunnels, rocket factories, and command centers embedded under hospitals, schools, and civilian neighborhoods — over the welfare of the 2.3 million residents it claimed to govern.

Billions in international aid were systematically diverted to weapons and the personal enrichment of Hamas leaders, many of whom lived in luxury in Qatar and Turkey while ordinary Gazans endured poverty, unemployment, and repeated wars launched against Israel. The October 7, 2023, massacre — in which Hamas terrorists slaughtered approximately 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages — exemplified the group’s prioritization of jihadist ideology and Iranian strategic objectives over any genuine Palestinian state-building.

Even after the ceasefire took effect in late 2025, Hamas has dragged its feet on core obligations, particularly the disarmament of its military wing (the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) and the dismantling of its terror apparatus. Israeli officials have dismissed Monday’s announcement as “spin without any meaning” and a transparent attempt to avoid being declared in violation of the agreement while retaining de facto veto power through its armed forces.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar noted pointedly that as long as Hamas keeps its weapons, any civilian government will operate under its dictates.

Technocrats vs. Theocrats: The Board of Peace’s Clear-Eyed Approach

The NCAG, headed by Palestinian engineer and former PA official Ali Shaath, is designed as an apolitical, professional body of technocrats tasked with restoring essential services — health, utilities, education, and humanitarian coordination — and overseeing reconstruction under the Board of Peace’s strategic oversight.

Unlike Hamas’s theocratic model, which fused governance with relentless incitement, glorification of “resistance,” and rejection of Israel’s existence, the technocratic framework aims for pragmatic, results-driven administration accountable to international standards and the needs of Gaza’s people.

The Board of Peace has been explicit: symbolic resignations and press conferences change nothing if Hamas retains parallel armed structures, continues to influence or intimidate civil servants, or uses reconstruction funds to rebuild its military capabilities. True progress requires:

• Full administrative handover without Hamas interference or “resistance” veto.
• Consolidation of all weapons and security functions under the NCAG’s unified authority.
• Verifiable end to terror infrastructure, incitement in schools and media, and diversion of resources.
• Cooperation that allows rapid delivery of aid and rebuilding for ordinary Gazans, not tunnel networks.

This disciplined, action-based standard stands in stark contrast to the failed approaches of the past — whether Hamas’s totalitarian control or the Palestinian Authority’s chronic corruption and pay-for-slay policies.

Skepticism Warranted, But a Potential Opening

While Hamas spokesmen like Hazem Qassem hailed the move as removing “pretexts for the occupation” and expressed readiness to hand over governmental responsibilities, the absence of any commitment on disarmament or security control has fueled widespread doubt. Palestinian factions in Cairo reportedly welcomed the development, yet experts and diplomats note it leaves Hamas’s military wing intact and its ideological grip on parts of Gaza society largely unchallenged.

The Board of Peace’s insistence on measurable outcomes offers the most credible path forward. By refusing to accept words at face value and tying progress to concrete steps — demilitarization, depoliticized governance, and reconstruction that benefits civilians rather than terrorists — the Board positions itself as the serious alternative to the cycle of Hamas-initiated wars and empty promises that have devastated Gaza for nearly two decades.

For the people of Gaza, long held hostage by an Iranian proxy masquerading as a resistance movement, Monday’s announcement is at best a tentative first step. Real liberation from Hamas’s grip will come only when the Board of Peace’s standards of accountability are met through verifiable actions — not press releases.

The international community, and especially those genuinely invested in regional stability and the welfare of Palestinians, should support the Board of Peace’s rigorous approach. Gaza deserves competent technocratic administration focused on rebuilding lives, not perpetuating jihadist fantasies. Actions, not promises, will determine whether this moment marks the beginning of genuine change or merely another chapter in Hamas’s long con.