Israel outraged after Gaza administration signals ties to Palestinian Authority

Israeli government blasts technocratic committee charged with administering the Gaza Strip after the committee abandons its original logo, adopts symbol used by the Palestinian Authority.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel condemned the new technocratic Palestinian committee formed with American backing to govern the Gaza Strip after the committee unilaterally abandoned its logo and replaced it with the Palestinian Authority coat of arms.

On Monday, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) replaced its original logo on its social media pages with the Palestinian Authority’s symbol: the Eagle of Saladin with a shield across its chest bearing the colors of the Palestine Liberation Organization flag.

The move came just two and a half weeks after the NCAG was established, using a logo approved ahead of time by Israel.

The original emblem featured a multi-colored phoenix rising above a cityscape of a rebuilt Gaza Strip and featuring three of the four colors of the Palestinian Liberation Organization flag.

Late Monday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement protesting the change or any other move linking the administration of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority.

“The logo of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which was presented to Israel, was entirely different from the one published this evening,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

“Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza.”

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Israel has ruled out Palestinian Authority involvement in the post-war management of the Gaza Strip.

The Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan sought to assuage Israeli concerns of PA or Hamas influence over the governance of the Gaza Strip by establishing a technocratic committee of Gaza figures not explicitly affiliated with either the PA or Hamas.

While Egypt oversaw the selection process, and Israel and the US were given veto power over nominations, the 15 members of the committee were agreed upon by all Palestinian factions, including Hamas.

gaza stripPalestinian Authoritytechnocratic