News Analysis
While US President Donald Trump celebrates the launch of what is known as the "Peace Council," the outlines of a complex transitional path are unfolding on the ground in the Gaza Strip, governed by Israeli restrictions and shrouded in deep political and security questions. Despite Israel's continued prevention of members of the "Gaza Administration Committee" from entering the Strip, data indicates that initial steps to transfer civil administration from the "Hamas" movement to the committee have already begun.
Sky News Arabia reported that meetings took place between Sami Nesman, a member of the Gaza Administration Committee tasked with overseeing the Ministry of Interior, and his counterpart in the Hamas movement, Jamal Al-Jarrah. The discussions focused on mechanisms for transferring operational powers related to the police and internal security. However, the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" quoted a high-ranking Palestinian official as saying that what is happening does not amount to a "complete professional handover," but is limited at this stage to administrative coordination that includes exchanging employee names and understanding the procedures in place during Hamas's rule.
According to multiple news reports, Nesman is well-known in Gaza. He was born in the Shati refugee camp and lived for many years in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, which gave him a precise knowledge of the family and tribal structure and the social balance of power in the Strip. In his youth, he joined the "Shabiba" movement affiliated with "Fatah" and participated in the First Intifada, and was wanted by the Israeli "Shin Bet" on suspicion of participating in the liquidation of collaborators.
After fleeing Gaza, Nesman returned in 1994 following the signing of the Oslo Accords, taking advanced positions in the Palestinian intelligence apparatus, where he worked under the late Major General Amin Al-Hindi, and contributed to efforts to prevent the entrenchment of Hamas's influence in the Strip. However, Hamas's takeover of Gaza in 2007 forced him to leave the Strip again and settle in Ramallah, while the movement continued to pursue him, later accusing him of running intelligence networks against it, and he was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison in 2016.
In recent years, Nesman was marginalized within the Palestinian Authority institutions, especially after joining the group of retired officers affiliated with Mohammed Dahlan, who has relations with a number of members of the Gaza Administration Committee, including its head, Ali Shaath. Despite this controversial legacy, Hamas did not officially object to Nesman's appointment, as it does not have veto power over the selection of committee members.
Observers recall here the experience of 2017, when Egyptian-sponsored talks, with the participation of the UAE, took place regarding the formation of a committee to administer Gaza headed by Dahlan, with reports at the time speaking of Abu Dhabi allocating $15 million to fund its work. Despite the failure of that initiative, the UAE's joining the "Peace Council" reinforces estimates that Dahlan and his allies are preparing for the next stage, with the committee's work on the ground approaching, according to experts.
In a parallel context, "Sky Arabia" published an unconfirmed report stating that Hamas and the United States had reached a preliminary understanding that the movement would abandon its weapons and hand over maps of undiscovered tunnels, in exchange for being allowed to transform into a legitimate political party, and ensuring the exit of its elements from Gaza without threat. According to the report, Israel strongly objected to some provisions of this proposal.
Despite the absence of official confirmation, previous statements by Bishara Bahbah (who works for the team of US envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a liaison role between Hamas and the White House) spoke of disarming the movement "in stages" as part of broader arrangements related to a ceasefire agreement. Also, the discussion of reopening the Rafah crossing and beginning rubble removal and reconstruction operations, before complete disarmament, may reflect a degree of American flexibility, despite Trump's publicly tough rhetoric.
The most prominent challenge facing the Gaza Administration Committee, according to American sources, is the huge functional structure left by Hamas. About 11,000 police officers and employees worked in the Ministry of Interior alone, while estimates indicate that more than 50,000 civil servants—including teachers, doctors, and engineers—were paid by the Hamas government. According to Palestinian sources, it was agreed to continue the work of employees in the education, health, and civil defense sectors after subjecting them to security checks, in exchange for the gradual retirement of those working in the security apparatus.
Palestinian officials acknowledge that the committee will not be able, in the foreseeable future, to dispense with cadres who previously worked with Hamas, given the new administration's need for continuity of services. However, control over these institutions, through which reconstruction funds will pass, may turn into the next arena of political conflict, in the absence of direct Israeli oversight mechanisms over the civil aspect of the "Peace Council."
Experts estimate that what is happening in Gaza cannot be separated from the re-engineering of the entire Palestinian scene, where open military conflict is being replaced by a conflict of administrative and financial influence. The transfer of civil administration does not mean the end of Hamas, but rather its transition to a less confrontational and more flexible space, allowing it to reproduce its influence from within institutions. In this context, the question becomes not whether Hamas will disappear, but how it will return, with what tools, and under what political cover.
These believe that the public expressions of gratitude directed by Palestinian factions to the Trump administration represent a striking linguistic and political shift, reflecting an understanding that international power balances are not managed by slogans but by pragmatic positioning. However, this shift carries its risks, as it may be understood as implicit acceptance of a political framework that does not address the roots of the Palestinian issue. Relying solely on international legitimacy, without genuine national unity, may reproduce the crisis.
شارك برأيك
Transfer of Civil Administration in Gaza Begins Amidst Ambiguity Over Hamas's Political Future