Hamas Signals Readiness to Transfer Governing Authority in Gaza, but Full Disarmament Remains Distant

Hamas Signals Readiness to Transfer Governing Authority in Gaza, but Full Disarmament Remains Distant

Recent reports indicate that Hamas officials are prepared to hand over weapons used by their police and internal security forces to the Palestinian administrative committee, a move that some analysts interpret as a potential opening for a structured transition in Gaza. However, the scope of the offer falls short of full disarmament, and the governing bodies intended to oversee such a transition are not yet fully operational.

According to an April 19 report in The New York Times, Hamas is prepared to surrender thousands of automatic rifles and other weapons used by its police and internal security forces in Gaza. The officials involved framed this as a significant concession, given that Hamas had previously refused to give up its weapons after re-establishing authority over roughly half of the Strip.

Writing in The Jerusalem Post, Samer Sinijlawi, a Fatah political activist, argued that the reported handover is not merely symbolic but represents a credible opening for a structured transition. He noted that Hamas is prepared to transfer not only weapons tied to internal security but also the broader machinery of governance—ministries, revenues, taxation systems, administrative structures, and human resources—to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), including the authority to enforce the law. Sinijlawi emphasized that while Hamas has not declared it will disarm its military wing, it is signaling readiness to allow another authority to impose a "one authority, one law, one weapon" reality.

However, Eric R. Mandel, a national security analyst who has traveled in and around Gaza, responded in The Jerusalem Post with caution. Mandel argued that Hamas's promises should not be accepted at face value, noting that the group is part of a broader worldwide Islamist movement and has historically viewed temporary compromise as tactical. He stressed the importance of remaining analytical rather than ideological and referenced the atrocities of October 7 as a reminder of the stakes.

Neville Teller, also writing in The Jerusalem Post, provided additional context. Teller noted that the offer conveyed by the Hamas officials presupposes that both the Board of Peace—the high-powered controlling group led by US President Donald Trump—and its Palestinian administrative committee are up and running, which is not yet the case. While both bodies formally exist on paper and have begun limited activity, neither operates as a fully functioning governing authority in Gaza. The Board of Peace held its first convening session on February 19, at which members pledged approximately $17 billion in reconstruction funding, but it is still consolidating its role and membership.

According to Teller, the development of a transitional Palestinian police force has been slow. Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza, has indicated that a newly trained and vetted police force is intended to act in conjunction with the International Stabilization Force (ISF) to oversee the disarmament of weaponized groups. However, the full operational capacity of these institutions remains limited.

Analysts across the Jerusalem Post pieces agree that armed groups rarely give away weapons voluntarily in conflict transitions. In examples from Northern Ireland to parts of Latin America, enforcement authority has preceded full disarmament, not followed it. The key, they argue, is whether a legitimate authority can emerge that is capable of gradually and systematically enforcing disarmament.

The Hamas-run administration has accumulated an estimated $6 billion in internal obligations to banks, businesses, suppliers, and public sector employees, according to Teller. This financial burden adds complexity to any transition, as the incoming authority would inherit significant liabilities.

Key Claims

• Hamas is prepared to hand over weapons used by its police and internal security forces to the Palestinian administrative committee, as reported by The New York Times.
• The handover includes not only internal security weapons but also the broader machinery of governance to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), including ministries, revenues, taxation systems, administrative structures, and human resources.
• Hamas has not declared that it will disarm its military wing.
• The Board of Peace and the Palestinian administrative committee are not yet fully functional governing institutions in Gaza.
• The International Stabilization Force (ISF) is intended to act in conjunction with the newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force to oversee the disarmament of weaponized groups.
• Hamas's promises should not be accepted at face value, as the group has historically viewed temporary compromise as tactical.
• Armed groups rarely give away weapons voluntarily; enforcement authority has preceded full disarmament in every conflict transition.
• The Hamas-run administration has accumulated an estimated $6 billion in internal obligations to banks, businesses, suppliers, and public sector employees.