Palestinians say Hamas and Fatah are close to an agreement on a
committee to administer postwar Gaza
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[December 03, 2024]
By SAMY MAGDY and JOSEF FEDERMAN
CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian officials say Fatah and Hamas are closing in on
an agreement to appoint a committee of politically independent
technocrats to administer the Gaza Strip after the war. It would
effectively end Hamas' rule and could help advance ceasefire talks with
Israel.
The rival factions have made several failed attempts to reconcile since
Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007. Israel has meanwhile ruled out any
postwar role in Gaza for either Hamas or Fatah, which dominates the
Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
A Palestinian Authority official on Tuesday confirmed that an agreement
had been reached following weeks of negotiations in Cairo. The official
said the committee would have 12-15 members, most of them from Gaza.
It would report to the Palestinian Authority, which is headquartered in
the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and work with local and international
parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance and reconstruction.
A Hamas official said that Hamas and Fatah had agreed on the general
terms but were still negotiating over some details and the individuals
who would serve on the committee. The official said an agreement would
be announced after a meeting of all Palestinian factions in Cairo,
without providing a timeline.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to brief media on the talks. There was no immediate comment
from Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war
until Hamas is dismantled and scores of hostages are returned. He says
Israel will maintain open-ended security control over Gaza, with
civilian affairs administered by local Palestinians unaffiliated with
the Palestinian Authority or Hamas.
No Palestinians have publicly volunteered for such a role, and Hamas has
threatened anyone who cooperates with the Israeli military.
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Young Palestinians walk amongst rubble of destroyed buildings at a
neighbourhood in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP
Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The United States has called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority
to govern both the West Bank and Gaza ahead of eventual statehood.
The Israeli government, which is opposed to Palestinian statehood,
is reportedly discussing a postwar plan with the United Arab
Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 and backs a
rival Fatah faction.
The Hamas official said the emerging Palestinian agreement would
fulfill one of Israel’s war goals by ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza.
It’s unclear if Israeli officials would see it that way.
The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied
West Bank, recognizes Israel and cooperates with it on security
matters, a policy that is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, many
of whom view it as a subcontractor of the occupation. Israel says
the authority has not done enough to combat militancy or curb
incitement.
The committee would assume its responsibilities after a ceasefire
agreement with Israel, the Hamas official said. American and Arab
mediators have spent nearly a year trying to broker such an
agreement, but the negotiations have repeatedly stalled.
Hamas ignited the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, in
which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly
civilians, and abducted around 250. Some 100 hostages remain inside
Gaza, at least a third of whom are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 44,000 Palestinians,
mostly women and children, according to local health authorities,
who do not say how many of the dead were combatants. The offensive
has leveled much of the coastal territory and displaced the vast
majority of its 2.3 million residents.
___
Federman reported from Jerusalem.
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