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Gaza Strip may only be governed by Palestinian National Authority — PM

Discussions on governing Gaza after hostilities end are ongoing between the Fatah and Hamas Palestinian movements

CAIRO, January 15. /TASS/. Only the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has the right to govern the Gaza Strip, the country’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said.

"Gaza cannot be governed by any entity other than the PNA. We must act urgently to secure a ceasefire in the enclave and facilitate humanitarian aid shipments there," the WAFA news agency quoted him as saying. The prime minister added that he believes the international recognition of Palestine "helps achieve a just and lasting peace" in the region, which can only be achieved through the implementation of a two-state solution.

Discussions on governing Gaza after hostilities end are ongoing between the Fatah and Hamas Palestinian movements. Their last round was held in Cairo on November 2-4. According to Hamas officials, the parties discussed the creation of a temporary governing body for Gaza before establishing a Palestinian national unity government, named "the Public Support Committee." According to Egyptian media, this agency was formed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and consists of independent members born in Gaza who do not belong to any political party.

In 2005, as part of the unilateral disengagement plan, Israel fully withdrew from Gaza and evacuated Jewish settlements. Control over Gaza was then transferred to the Mahmoud Abbas-led PNA, which also governed the West Bank. However, Hamas won the first parliamentary elections, defeating the more moderate Fatah movement, leading to a split between the factions. The Hamas faction took full control of the Strip, while their opponents retained power in the West Bank. Recently, Abbas and his supporters have reiterated their wish to restore the PNA’s control over Gaza, but Hamas has not agreed to this yet.