Representative image (Picture credit: AP)
A senior Hamas source has claimed that the group will not take part in governing Gaza once the ongoing ceasefire holds and post-war arrangements are finalised. The announcement comes as preparations are underway for a high-level peace summit in Egypt, where global leaders will discuss the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the two-year conflict.
“For Hamas, the governance of the Gaza Strip is a closed issue. Hamas will not participate at all in the transitional phase, which means it has relinquished control of the Strip, but it remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric,” the source was quoted as saying by news agency AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.The comments mark a major shift for the group, which has ruled Gaza since 2007. However, as per AFP, Hamas remains firm on the question of disarmament, which its leadership has described as a “red line.” The source said Hamas had agreed to a long-term truce but insisted that its weapons would only be used “in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza.” Another Hamas official reiterated that disarmament was “out of the question.”Trump’s peace framework calls for Gaza to be turned into a “deradicalised terror-free zone” and stipulates that Hamas should have no role in the future administration of the territory. The plan also proposes that all of Hamas’s military infrastructure be “destroyed and not rebuilt.” A temporary technocratic Palestinian committee is expected to handle day-to-day governance, with Hamas and other factions reportedly submitting 40 non-partisan names for inclusion.Meanwhile, the preparations are underway to scale up humanitarian aid in Gaza, with around 600 trucks expected to enter the Strip daily under the new ceasefire terms, as per news agency AP. Egyptian authorities said they dispatched 400 trucks carrying food, medical supplies, and fuel on Sunday.As per AFP, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Israel on Monday before co-chairing the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. More than 20 world leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are expected to attend.The meeting aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability,” the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
