Hamas willing to hand over Gaza to PA after war: Report

Hamas is now willing to hand over governance of the Gaza Strip to Palestinian Authority (PA), according to a report.

The PA is the internationally-recognised Palestinian government that partially governs the West Bank under the Oslo Accords of 1993. Its seat is at Ramallah, West Bank. The West Bank and Gaza comprise the two Palestinian territories that make up the envisioned State of Palestine.

The development comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has outlined a plan that would essentially kill Palestinian statehood . He has said that the United States will take over Gaza and expel all Palestinians living there and resettle them in Arab countries in the region.

Hamas willing to hand over power to PA: Report

Sky News Arabia has quoted sources as saying that Hamas has expressed willingness to hand over Gaza’s governance to PA.

Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2007 when it drove out Fatah, the rival Palestinian faction that runs the PA and dominates the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), from Gaza in the Palestinian civil war. Even as the war with Israel has reduced Hamas to a shadow to its former self, it still largely controls Gaza's governance as Israel has not put in place any alternative systems. Gaza’s police, healthcare, and civic services continue to be run by Hamas.

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Sources told Sky News Arabia that Hamas has made the concession under pressure from Egypt.

Sky News Arabia quoted sources as saying that “Hamas only stipulated that Gaza Strip employees be re-absorbed into the new administration or sent to retirement with a guarantee of paying their salaries”. The sources further said that “Hamas’ acceptance of handing over the rule of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority came after great Egyptian pressure on the movement’s delegation that visited Cairo”.

Even as PA is the internationally-recognised Palestinian government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out PA’s role in Gaza. In a recent interview with Channel 14, he called PA “terrible” and said US rule would be better for Gaza than that of the PA .

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Referring to PA President Mahmoud Abbas by his popular Arabic name Abu Mazan, Netanyahu said, “And now you have to choose – let’s say you have to choose between Abu Mazen and the PA in Gaza, which is what I kept hearing between the lines, and before the lines and in the headlines: ‘Abu Mazen and the PA will come and bring us a new Gaza.’ Really, well, what are you talking about, after all, they were there and we saw where it led. And we see how they educate their children. So the president of the United States comes and says – I’m willing to bring something else – and even take responsibility for Gaza. What do you prefer Abu Mazen or the U.S. there?”