Hamas ready to stop governing in Gaza to extend ceasefire: ‘we are not clinging to power’

Hamas indicated a willingness to stop governing Gaza after the war with Israel, an overture timed for US-led efforts to extend the initial ceasefire and agree terms for a permanent end to hostilities.

“It is not necessary for Hamas to be part of the political and administrative arrangements in the next phase for Gaza, especially if it serves the interests of our people,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasim told Al Arabiya TV.

The concession would fulfil one of the Israeli demands for Hamas that would enable a second phase of the truce to start when the ongoing one expires early next month. However, another is for the Palestinian group to disarm, a condition the Iranian-backed faction has shown no sign of meeting.

Some Israeli analysts have warned that allowing Hamas to continue as a military force outside government would enable the group to replicate the role played by Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which wielded significant power and influence in the country both militarily and politically despite not being officially in charge.

Israel’s offensive against the group late last year helped pave the way for Lebanon to appoint its first president since 2022 last month.

Further clouding post-war prospects in Gaza has been Israel’s refusal to state what it considers an acceptable alternative government to Hamas, rejecting overtures by the Palestinian Authority, which rules parts of the West Bank, to get involved.