Hamas dissolves Gaza government after 18 years in power

Hamas dissolved its de facto government in the Gaza Strip on Monday (6/7), ending nearly 18 years of control over the territory since seizing it from Fatah in 2007. Emergency Government Committee chief Mohammed Al Farra submitted his resignation and dissolved the committee to smooth the transition of administration to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocrat committee based in Cairo, Egypt. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the group was ready to hand over governing responsibilities so NCAG could enter immediately. But Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the move was only a tactic to avoid disarmament, adding that any civilian government would remain under Hamas direction as long as the group retained weapons.