The Times of Israel quoted Mahmoud Al-Habbash, a senior advisor to the Palestinian President, as saying that President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the Hamas movement in every call and meeting he has held with world leaders since the Al-Aqsa flood operation on October 7, but he will not do so publicly while the war continues. in Gaza.
Al-Habbash revealed that the Palestinian Authority is ready to bear full responsibility in Gaza, provided that it is side by side with the West Bank and not as a contractor for Israel, as he put it.
Abbas’s advisor explained to the Israeli newspaper that this approval is conditional on a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the return of the Palestinian Authority as part of a broader diplomatic initiative aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Al-Habbash added that the security forces of the Palestinian Authority are able to control the situation in Gaza just as they are currently doing in the West Bank, but he acknowledged that there is a need for a transitional period of at least 6 months so that the Palestinian Authority can rehabilitate before it can return to rule. Gaza.
Abbas’s advisor added that during that period, Ramallah would agree to the presence of an international or Arab force to help manage civil and security affairs in Gaza until the authority is ready to take over responsibility.
Regarding the calls to renew the effectiveness of the Palestinian Authority, Habbash said that there is no point behind these calls if Israel continues to promote policies aimed at the decline of the Authority.
The White House said on Wednesday that Phil Gordon, US National Security Advisor to the Vice President, met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian officials in Ramallah, where he informed them of the content of his meetings with Israeli officials.
The White House added that Gordon discussed with Palestinian officials the “revitalization” of the Palestinian Authority.
He stressed that the revitalized Palestinian Authority must be able to govern Gaza and the West Bank.
He stressed the need to strengthen the Palestinian Authority’s security forces to eventually assume responsibilities in Gaza, according to the White House.
British preparation team
In a related context, the British newspaper The Times said that a British military team is working in the West Bank to prepare the Palestinian Authority to take over the administration of the Gaza Strip.
The newspaper quoted British Defense Minister Grant Shapps as saying that the British support team has been in Ramallah for more than 10 years, and that consideration is being given to increasing its capabilities in order to assist the Palestinian Authority, as he put it.
Shapps added to the newspaper that the solution to the “Gaza crisis” is likely to be through a Palestinian authority capable of governance, and that this requires international assistance and support.
The British Minister stressed that this crisis must be used to improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians through an international coalition led by Arab countries regarding the reconstruction and management of the Gaza Strip.
Shapps added that London is working with Washington to improve the capabilities of the Palestinian Authority, noting that he discussed the matter with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin.
A prominent member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Ahmed Majdalani, said that the Palestinian Authority is ready to regain full control over the Gaza Strip as soon as the Israeli war on the Strip ends.
Majdalani explained in a statement to Newsweek magazine that the Palestinian Authority will accept the proposal of the administration of US President Joe Biden to reunite the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the authority’s control, if the international community supports the reconstruction of Gaza and pushes Israel to agree to the two-state solution.
He said that the authority is ready to hold its first national elections since 2006 as part of a broader long-term peace agreement, and added, “We are ready for a reform political agenda through free and democratic general elections.”
He noted that the Palestinian Authority could begin ruling Gaza as soon as the “current conflict” ends, and elections could be held after a “transitional period” of one to two years.
The Israeli occupation army is waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, which has entered its third month, leaving more than 17,000 martyrs and more than 46,000 wounded, in addition to massive destruction of infrastructure and an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” according to official Palestinian and UN sources.
Source : Manhattan Tribune + Israeli press + British press
