Gaza transitional body to judge Hamas by actions, not words on disarmament

Even as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) expects Hamas to disarm its units as a next step after the radical Palestinian movement announced preparations for a transfer of authority, it will be guided by actions, not words, the transitional body mandated by the United Nations cautioned.

"Ultimately, our assessment will be guided by actions, not promises <…>. The core principle remains one authority, one law, and one weapon. This means the consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG," the Committee said in a post on X.

The NCAG added it expects Hamas disarmament upon the successful conclusion of discussions on the roadmap.

On Monday, Gaza authorities said they had completed preparations to transfer power to the NCAG, composed of independent Palestinian technocrats and supervised by the Board of Peace. The enclave’s government said the head of the Government Emergency Committee and acting head of government follow-up, Mohammad Al-Farra, has resigned. This step is intended to "demonstrate the seriousness of intentions" of the enclave’s current government to transfer its authority to the technocrats. The government emphasized that at this point, only "technical staffers" remain in their posts, and they are ready to work under the National Committee.

The NCAG was formed on January 14 and held its first meeting in Cairo on the following day. It comprises 12 members and is led by Palestinian politician Ali Shaath, who was a high-ranking official in the Palestinian National Authority and is considered to be a prominent civil engineer, with extensive expertise in restoring political and economic infrastructure.