Hamas signals readiness to hand over Gaza governance

Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was ready to give up power in the Gaza Strip to a technocratic leadership committee as part of a ceasefire plan mediated by Arab nations, Turkiye and the United States.

The development came just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, a former United Nations envoy to the Middle East, in Jerusalem on Thursday.

Mladenov is being floated as the candidate to lead a proposed executive body for Gaza, Netanyahu's office confirmed after the meeting, as it reiterated its demand for Hamas to disarm and demilitarize the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Sunday that the group made a "clear decision" to end all governmental entities overseeing affairs in Gaza and transfer their duties to an independent technocratic committee, Xinhua News Agency reported.

It is awaiting the formal announcement of the committee that would be responsible for managing various sectors in the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Hamas and other Palestinian factions on its establishment, Qassem said.

He called for accelerating the formation of the body and for it to begin work "as soon as possible".

Hamas has run government institutions in Gaza since 2007, following fighting with Fatah, which runs the West Bank.

Jawaid Iqbal, vice-chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in India, described Hamas' offer to dissolve its powers in Gaza as "an attempt to pressurize Israel to move to the second phase of the ceasefire".

"Continuation of the ceasefire is in Hamas' interest as it provides the much-needed breathing space to regroup and reorganize its battered military strength," Iqbal told China Daily.

Hamas has long tied surrendering its arms to Israel's ending its occupation of Palestinian territories.

While the ceasefire has largely halted massive attacks, flashes of violence have not stopped the Palestinian death toll from rising. At least 71,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign since October 2023.

Recognition condemned

Meanwhile, at the 22nd extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, the bloc's Council of Foreign Ministers adopted two resolutions against Israel.

It condemned Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, its aggression, and its plans for annexation and displacement of the Palestinians from their land.

Khaldoon Abdulla, a nonresident fellow at the Asia Middle East Center for Research and Dialogue in Malaysia, said Israel appears to be pursuing three core interests through its recognition of Somaliland.

On the international level, Israel may seek to bolster its legitimacy, while geopolitically, Israel may view fragmentation in the Red Sea arena as advantageous, Abdulla said.

"Third, diplomatically, recognizing emerging polities could expand Israel's network of partners and strengthen its regional posture," he said.

jan@chinadailyapac.com