Hamas moves to tighten grip as Gaza’s Technocratic Committee nears launch

Hamas has reportedly begun maneuvering to obstruct the work of the technocratic committee designated to manage the Gaza Strip, according to sources familiar with the process. 

The group recently circulated a “rights document” to thousands of its officials, detailing accumulated social and employment benefits and urging recipients to demand these entitlements from the committee once it becomes operational.

In a parallel move, Hamas paid full salaries to its officials and police officers about two weeks ago. The payments were reportedly intended to reinforce loyalty and entrench the group’s influence ahead of the committee’s arrival in Gaza.

Hamas has also demanded that 10,000 of its police officers be absorbed into the new security force operating under the committee’s authority, while seeking long-term solutions for an estimated 40,000 employees it hired over the years. As part of this effort, the organization dismantled its internal security apparatus, redistributing personnel into civil defense units and the so-called “blue police.”

Sources involved in the process say concern is growing among committee members that Hamas plans to continue controlling Gaza from behind the scenes. During meetings held in Cairo, participants reportedly warned that the group may resist surrendering key portfolios, particularly finance and security.

One senior committee member said Hamas is pressing to place operatives from its military wing into civilian positions, signaling it will not fully relinquish power unless its affiliates retain influence. Another member cautioned that in a crisis, the committee could be forced to follow Hamas directives, effectively turning it into an administrative extension of the group.

Committee members also pointed to Hamas’s political backing from Turkey and Qatar, noting that no alternative regional actor currently appears capable of governing Gaza independently.