Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday accused Hamas of using a governance proposal as cover to hold onto its military power, declaring that any postwar arrangement for Gaza must require the complete disarmament of the militant group.
Sa’ar was responding to Hamas’s July 6 announcement that it would be willing to transfer Gaza’s civilian administration to a technocratic committee. Rather than viewing this as a genuine step toward peace, Sa’ar said the move is designed to replicate what he called the “Hezbollah model” — a setup where civilian institutions manage routine government functions while an armed faction continues to hold military dominance.
“The willingness to ‘make room’ for a technocratic government is designed to prevent Hamas from being disarmed,” Sa’ar said. “Hamas is interested in a ‘Hezbollah model’ in Gaza: the technocratic committee will be responsible for garbage collection and municipal services, and Hamas will remain the dominant military force.”
Sa’ar made clear that Israel is not budging from its stated position. “Israel insists on implementing the Trump plan as written, with the disarmament of Hamas and other terror organizations and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip at its core,” he said.
Hamas has framed the governance transfer as a move intended to help revive a stalled peace process, but the proposal contains no pledge by the group to give up its weapons.
The official stated that a technocratic committee could only assume governing responsibilities in Gaza after Hamas has been fully stripped of its military capabilities. The official also made clear that Gaza’s reconstruction would not move forward as long as Hamas remains armed, and that any rebuilding proposals that come before the group’s military infrastructure is dismantled would be rejected outright.
