Analysis: Hamas hands over government in Gaza as part of Trump plan

Hamas announced that it will hand over control of the government of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Committee, as part of the post-war plan proposed by American President Donald Trump. The UN assessed that the decision could represent a step forward in the peace process in the territory, which has been practically paralyzed since the beginning of the ceasefire.

Israel, however, reacted with skepticism to the statement, accusing Hamas of creating yet another maneuver to prevent the delivery of its weapons. The impasse between the parties remains deep, with no concrete progress either towards the definitive resolution of the conflict or towards the reconstruction of the devastated territory. CNN International analyst Lourival Sant'Anna comments on the matter.

What Hamas' announcement proposes
The Palestinian National Committee would be formed by Palestinian technicians with no connection to Hamas or other Palestinian political groups.

Its function would be to organize the government of the Gaza Strip in a technical manner, meeting the needs of the local population. Sant'Anna highlighted, however, that, in practice, the group must continue to hold its weapons and exercise power over the territory.

The analyst drew a parallel between the situation in Gaza and that in Lebanon. According to him, the Gaza Strip is heading towards a scenario in which an armed group accepts that another political group administers the territory, but maintains military control.

"It also creates the same vicious cycle that exists today between Israel and Hezbollah," said Sant'Anna, explaining that Hamas claims it will not abandon its weapons until Israel withdraws, while Israel justifies its presence by the threat posed by Hamas.

According to Sant'Anna, Israeli forces control approximately 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that there is no plan for an Israeli withdrawal from the site.

The analyst also pointed out that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supervised by a council linked to Trump's plan, was unable to enter the Gaza Strip because Israel prevents the entry of Arab and Palestinian technocrats designated to administer the territory.

Pressure on the United States and the humanitarian situation
In Sant'Anna's assessment, by formally abdicating the administration of Gaza, Hamas seeks to create a fait accompli and pressure Israel through the United States. "Hamas intends, with this, to make the United States put pressure on Israel to allow the entry of the Gaza Administration Council and also for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip", he analyzed.

The United States government, in turn, signaled that it will pay attention to Hamas' actions and not its promises. The humanitarian situation in the territory remains critical: more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the truce, which, according to Sant'Anna, "is not even being respected".

The analyst highlighted that, although the rate of deaths has decreased compared to the period of intensive bombing, "the Palestinians continue to suffer, they continue to be killed and their territory is completely destroyed".

Sant'Anna noted that both Hamas and Fatah - the opposing faction that was expelled from the Gaza Strip by Hamas in 2007 - have lost credibility among the Palestinian population.

Hamas, according to him, "lost a lot of grip and a lot of support from the Palestinians" after the October 7 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of hundreds of hostages, triggering the Israeli offensive.

"The Palestinians are not happy with any of these leaders and that is why they place a certain amount of faith in this group of technocrats who are trying to enter the Gaza Strip, but Israel is blocking it for now", concluded the analyst.

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Source: CNN