Hamas accepts Egyptian proposal to form joint Palestinian committee to run post-war Gaza

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Hamas said Thursday that it has accepted an Egyptian proposal to form a joint Palestinian committee to run the Gaza Strip after the ongoing Israeli war.

In a statement, Hamas said it held in-depth talks with the Fatah group in Cairo to form a committee to run Gaza through implementing previously agreed frameworks to achieve Palestinian unity.

“Hamas conveyed its approval of an Egyptian proposal for forming a community support committee that will function through inclusive national mechanisms,” it added.

Hamas said its delegation in Cairo also held talks with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), another Palestinian group, to discuss developments in Gaza and the West Bank.

Additional meetings were held with prominent Palestinian figures, where updates on the discussions with Fatah and the Egyptian proposal were shared, it added.

Since 2007, a geographic and political division has persisted between Hamas and Fatah, with numerous regional and international mediations and agreements failing to bridge the gap.

This ongoing rift has fragmented Palestinian governance, with Hamas controlling Gaza and the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, administering parts of the West Bank.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas in October 2023, killing nearly 44,600 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,700.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions denouncing the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio