Can Israel Dismantle Hamas?

Excerpt Hamas announced last week that it is prepared to hand over the government of Gaza to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). The NCAG was established as part of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and peace plan that began in mid-October 2025. Despite Hamas’ claims that it may “dissolve” its role in the strip’s government, there has been no clear evidence that it is actually doing that. In addition, it is not handing over its arms, which have been the source of decades of terror attacks. For the peace plan in Gaza to proceed, it will require more than words from Hamas. Hamas has shown in decades of its existence that ceasefires and words are not reliable. The October 7 attack, in which more than 1,100 people were murdered in Israel and 250 taken hostage, is the clearest example that Hamas cannot be trusted. Not only is Hamas untrustworthy, but also its control of Gaza’s political institutions is illegitimate and began with the 2007 coup against the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. The Hamas statement about dissolving its government in Gaza is the latest wrench to be thrown into the works. In October, the ceasefire in Gaza began. This was part of a 20-point plan brokered by the White House and then enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which was passed in mid-November. The US- and UN-backed plan led to the creation of a Board of Peace in January. This in turn established the NCAG and the peacekeeping International Stabilization Force (ISF). On paper, the plan for Gaza looks promising. Hamas is supposed to be disarmed. Its governing institutions, such as they exist, are supposed to be handed to a technocratic committee. Reconstruction is supposed to begin, and an international force is supposed to provide security. Deprived of basic necessities under Hamas rule for 20 years, the 2 million civilians in Gaza need the strip’s government to take these steps urgently. Seth Frantzman is the author of Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machine, Artificial Intelligence and the Battle for the Future (Bombardier 2021) and an adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies.