Hamas Moves to Dissolve Gaza Government Ahead of Technocratic Committee Takeover

According to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat citing Hamas sources, Hamas leadership is preparing to announce the dissolution of the "Government Activity Monitoring Committee," which currently functions as its de facto government in the Gaza Strip. The announcement, expected tomorrow, is part of an initiative to pave the way for a technocratic committee led by Ali Shath to take over Gaza's administration.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions plan to hold further meetings in Cairo within two days to bridge gaps concerning the second phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov, has arrived in Egypt to participate in these talks, which will also include senior American officials.

Since winning the 2006 parliamentary elections, Hamas has controlled Gaza, consolidating its hold in 2007 after a violent conflict with Fatah. Sources indicated that Hamas is eager to expedite the technocratic committee's entry to begin its duties but accuses Mladenov of conditioning the committee's deployment on an agreement to limit weapons in Gaza.