Palestinian President Abbas says ready to rule Gaza after ceasefire deal. Israel-Palestine conflict news
The Palestinian president reiterated his call for an ‘immediate ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal’ from the besieged area.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said in his first statement since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is ready to take “full responsibility” in Gaza after the war.
“Under the instructions of President Abbas, the Palestinian Government has completed all preparations to assume full responsibility in Gaza,” the presidential office said in a statement on Friday.
This will include return of displaced persons, providing basic services, crossing management and reconstruction of the war-torn area.
The statement published by the Palestinian Wafa news agency also reiterated Abbas’s government’s call for “an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the need for a complete Israeli withdrawal.”
While Hamas has taken full control of Gaza since 2007, the PA, dominated by the Fatah movement, runs the West Bank which has been captured by Israeli forces.
Currently, Israel has no definite stance on post-war governance other than rejecting any role for both Hamas and the PA.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly opposed Hamas or the PA ruling the Palestinian territory, describing either scenario as a “reward” for an October 7, 2023 attack.
However, outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the PA should run the coastal zone.
Palestinian leaders from various factions have long said Gaza’s future is up to them to decide, and have rejected any outside interference.
On Friday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said government institutions were ready to step up their work and restore basic services in Gaza, while receiving calls from the European Union (EU) to redeploy a monitoring mission to the Rafah border crossing and Called for help in facilitating entry. Help.
“Palestinian ministers have clear instructions on what to do from the moment the ceasefire begins. We have a 100-day plan for the next day,” Belga news agency quoted Mustafa as saying during a visit to Brussels.
