Members of the Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, attend the funerals of two fighters in Gaza on Jan. 24, 2025. (Credit: Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)
It has been almost exactly 20 years since this organization came to power in the Palestinian enclave. Since then, Hamas has become a central player in Palestinian politics and beyond. But is its dominance finally coming to an end? After months of deadlock and repeated postponements, the United States announced last week the launch of the second phase of the cease-fire in Gaza. The most concrete announcement concerns the establishment of a new technocratic authority, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (CNAG), headed by Ali Shaath, former deputy minister of transportation in the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, specified that this second phase would also include reconstruction and the complete demilitarization of Gaza, explicitly citing the disarmament of Hamas and other armed...
It has been almost exactly 20 years since this organization came to power in the Palestinian enclave. Since then, Hamas has become a central player in Palestinian politics and beyond. But is its dominance finally coming to an end? After months of deadlock and repeated postponements, the United States announced last week the launch of the second phase of the cease-fire in Gaza. The most concrete announcement concerns the establishment of a new technocratic authority, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (CNAG), headed by Ali Shaath, former deputy minister of transportation in the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, specified that this second phase would also include reconstruction and the complete demilitarization of Gaza, explicitly citing the disarmament of Hamas and other armed...
