Sources to SadaNews: "Hamas" Takes Practical Steps to Hand Over Its Governance to the Technocratic Committee

Exclusive to SadaNews - Palestinian sources revealed to "SadaNews" that the government bodies affiliated with the Hamas movement held a series of important meetings in recent days to agree on the steps it will take to hand over the ministries to the entities that will assume governance in the Gaza Strip after starting to implement the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10.

According to those sources, the meetings included the security apparatuses of the government, including the "Internal Security" apparatus, which recently resumed its activities significantly, arresting many collaborators with the occupation and opponents of Hamas's stance during and after the war, detaining them in various locations and interrogating them.

It was noted that Hamas is facing significant pressure from Palestinian factions as well as from intermediaries to expedite the process of transferring governance in Gaza to the agreed-upon technocratic committee.

According to those sources, a directive has effectively been issued from Hamas's leadership both inside and outside the Gaza Strip for the relevant security and government entities to be fully prepared to hand over all files and tasks entrusted to them to the authorities that will take over governance in the strip, namely the technocratic committee, which efforts are underway to resolve disputes regarding, that will take over governmental affairs in the sector thereafter.

It was indicated that the recent appointments made for leaders of security apparatus in Gaza and various government departments are considered temporary and aimed at managing affairs until the appointed entity for government work assumes its responsibilities.

The sources pointed out that there is a meeting for all Palestinian factions planned in which the Fatah movement is expected to participate, to achieve a full consensus on the committee's work tasks, noting that Egypt is making significant efforts to reach a comprehensive Palestinian agreement on it, with positive indications of the possibility of resolving all disputes surrounding the committee, whether regarding the names of its members or its work program, as conveyed to "SadaNews."

Sources said that the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip have informed Egypt that they have no objection to this committee being subordinate to the Palestinian government and for its president to be a minister from the government itself.

The sources pointed out that Hamas has made an internal decision to diligently work towards ending its governmental era after 18 years of control over the Gaza Strip, indicating that this decision was taken to preserve national common interests and to achieve the completion of other files, including reconstruction, opening the Rafah crossing, and improving the living conditions for the population in the Gaza Strip.

The sources state that Hamas wants to engage more in the Palestinian political file through working to unify Palestinian efforts and ending disputes with the Fatah movement, and even joining the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Council, in a manner that serves the general vision based on the necessity of conducting comprehensive elections in all Palestinian territories.

The sources confirm that Hamas plans to participate in any upcoming Palestinian elections, noting that this initial decision by the movement may change in the future, or they may participate symbolically to remain in the opposition without having a majority in the Legislative Council or otherwise.

It remains unknown how the Palestinian leadership will react to this, nor is it clear how the position of the United States and intermediary countries will be, at a time when Israel will reject any future political role for Hamas in Palestine, which is a matter that needs more time to see if the movement will recognize the conditions set by the international quartet which may grant it a foothold in the future of the Palestinian Authority.

On the internal front, Hamas has postponed the election of its new political bureau chief, which was supposed to take place in recent days, indicating that the postponement was due to internal reasons and because the movement's leadership is preoccupied with discussions with intermediaries regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Sources confirmed that the electoral process will take place later after a new date is set for it.