Hamas, Palestinian Authority ink deal to jointly rule post-war Gaza

The Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah party reportedly has agreed to share control of the Gaza Strip with Hamas after the current war with Israel.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

The Hamas terror organization has signed an agreement with the ruling faction of the Palestinian Authority paving the way for joint control of the Gaza Strip once the current war with Israel ends, according to a report Tuesday morning.

Negotiators from Hamas and the Fatah party both told AFP Tuesday morning that the two sides had agreed to jointly administer the post-war Gaza Strip, adding that the rival factions have inked an agreement delineating the format for governing the coastal enclave.

According to a draft of the agreement seen by AFP, once the current war with Israel is concluded, Hamas will form a joint committee with Fatah, made up of 10 to 15 non-partisan members chosen by the two organizations, to administer the Gaza Strip.

The committee will, according to the agreement, be tasked with managing Gazan affairs ranging from education, healthcare, the distribution of international aid, reconstruction, and the economy.

Under the terms of the agreement, Fatah and Hamas would jointly administer the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egyptian border.

The deal was negotiated by delegations from the two factions, headed by Hamas politburo member Khalil al-Hayya and Fatah central committee member Azzam al-Ahmad.

The agreement must still be brought to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas for final approval, the report said.

The document does not address Israel’s role in the post-war Gaza Strip, ignoring the Netanyahu government’s repeated declarations that the IDF will maintain a long-term security presence in Gaza.

While a number of his ministers have called for comprehensive Israeli control and even resettlement of the Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Israel will, at the very least, maintain control over the Philadelphi Corridor – which includes the Rafah crossing – as well as the Netzarim Corridor running across the neck of central Gaza.