Rival Factions Hamas And Fatah Near Agreement On Who Will Oversee Postwar Gaza | rssama.com

CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian officials opportunity Fatah and Hamas are closing successful connected an statement to name a committee of politically independent technocrats to administer nan Gaza Strip after nan war. It would efficaciously extremity Hamas’ norm and could thief beforehand ceasefire talks pinch Israel.

The rival factions person made respective grounded attempts to reconcile since Hamas seized powerfulness successful Gaza successful 2007. Israel has meantime ruled retired immoderate postwar domiciled successful Gaza for either Hamas aliases Fatah, which dominates the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

A Palestinian Authority charismatic connected Tuesday confirmed that a preliminary statement had been reached pursuing weeks of negotiations successful Cairo. The charismatic said nan committee would person 12-15 members, astir of them from Gaza.

It would study to nan Palestinian Authority, which is headquartered successful nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, and activity pinch section and world parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance and reconstruction.

A Hamas charismatic said that Hamas and Fatah had agreed connected nan wide position but were still negotiating complete immoderate specifications and nan individuals who would service connected nan committee. The charismatic said an statement would beryllium announced aft a gathering of each Palestinian factions successful Cairo, without providing a timeline.

Both officials said connected information of anonymity because they were not authorized to little media connected nan talks. There was nary contiguous remark from Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to proceed nan warfare until Hamas is dismantled and scores of hostages are returned. He says Israel will support open-ended information power complete Gaza, pinch civilian affairs administered by section Palestinians unaffiliated pinch nan Palestinian Authority aliases Hamas.

No Palestinians person publically volunteered for specified a role, and Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates pinch nan Israeli military.

The United States has called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern some nan West Bank and Gaza up of eventual statehood. The Israeli government, which is opposed to Palestinian statehood, is reportedly discussing a postwar scheme pinch nan United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations pinch Israel successful 2020 and backs a rival Fatah faction.

The Hamas charismatic said nan emerging Palestinian statement would fulfill 1 of Israel’s warfare goals by ending Hamas’ norm successful Gaza. It’s unclear if Israeli officials would spot it that way.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of nan occupied West Bank, recognizes Israel and cooperates pinch it connected information matters, a argumentation that is profoundly unpopular among Palestinians, galore of whom position it arsenic a subcontractor of nan occupation. Israel says nan authority has not done capable to combat militancy aliases curb incitement.

The committee would presume its responsibilities aft a ceasefire statement pinch Israel, nan Hamas charismatic said. American and Arab mediators person spent astir a twelvemonth trying to agent specified an agreement, but the negotiations person many times stalled.

Hamas ignited nan warfare pinch its Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught into Israel, successful which Palestinian militants killed immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted astir 250. Some 100 hostages stay wrong Gaza, astatine slightest a 3rd of whom are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory violative has killed complete 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to section wellness authorities, who do not opportunity really galore of nan dormant were combatants. The violative has leveled overmuch of nan coastal territory and displaced nan immense mostly of its 2.3 cardinal residents.

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Federman reported from Jerusalem.

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