Hamas has announced its intention to hand over governing authority in the Gaza Strip to an interim administration, marking a significant shift after two decades of control.
The militant group invited the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a US-backed body, to take over running the territory.
However, the announcement did not include a promise to disarm unilaterally, a key demand from Israel and the United States.
The immediate impact on the partially observed ceasefire remains uncertain.
The NCAG has been blocked from entering Gaza by Israel since its creation in January as part of a US-brokered ceasefire.
Analysts view the declaration as a symbolic move aimed at reviving a stalled peace process.
The blockade has hindered reconstruction and humanitarian relief for Gaza's surviving population of 2.1 million.
The decision also counters Israeli-led proposals, backed by the Trump administration, to limit reconstruction to purpose-built villages covering about 60% of Gaza under direct Israeli army control, referred to as a "humanitarian city" or "New Rafah."
Leadership Resignation and Stalled Transition
Mohammed al-Farra, the head of the Hamas administration, announced his resignation alongside the power handover.
He stated that civil servants and public workers would remain in their roles pending the NCAG's arrival.
"After I have ensured that all necessary preparations have been completed for the handover of the governmental system in the Gaza Strip, I hereby tender my resignation," al-Farra wrote.
A Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, said: "Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip, in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation."
Prospects for an immediate political transition appear remote as the 13 members of the NCAG remain stuck in Cairo.
The committee is overseen by the Board of Peace, established under a ceasefire plan brokered by Donald Trump in October.
NCAG chair Ali Shaath stated on social media that the committee was "fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available."
In a May report to the UN Security Council, Trump-appointed high representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov blamed Hamas for the political impasse.
Hamas maintains it will not disarm while Israel controls most of the territory and commits ceasefire violations.
The Board of Peace issued a noncommittal response, saying it had "taken note" of the announcement.
"Ultimately, our assessment will be guided by actions, not promises," the board said. "The core principle remains one authority, one law and one weapon."
Political Horizon and Reactions
Max Rodenbeck, Israel-Palestine project director at the International Crisis Group, noted that Hamas is keen to break the current logjam.
"In the absence of any 'political horizon' for Palestinians it cannot just lay down its weapons, but it can at least signal its willingness to give up political power," he said.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority and its European and Arab backers are trying to persuade the US administration to stick to the original plan covering the whole Gaza Strip, rather than the smaller Israeli army-run zone supported by the United Arab Emirates.
"Hamas knows that if NCAG just moves into New Rafah, it would be delegitimised as the ruler of bantustans or a concentration camp," said Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
"Hamas is trying to recapture the initiative and circumvent the roadblock created by the New Rafah plan."
"Even if they agree to disarm unilaterally and do everything they are asked to do, Hamas knows Netanyahu will not allow reconstruction anywhere in Gaza before elections," Shehada added.
