PA to Hamas: Hand over Gaza before reconciliation talks

Secretary-General of the PA Al-Tayeb Abdul Rahim yesterday called on Hamas to hand over the Gaza Strip as a precondition for reconciliation, Safa news agency reported.

Abdul Rahim was speaking on behalf of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the American University in Ramallah. “Hamas was informed about this,” he said, “and we are waiting for its response within two days.”

Read: Fatah refused to take control of Gaza from Hamas

He continued: “If Hamas accepted this, we would open a new page with it; otherwise, we will take the necessary steps.”

Let the government extend its full authority over the Gaza Strip without preconditions and let the government carry out its work without Hamas’ interference. This means that Hamas dissolve the Gaza administrative committee.

Fatah and the PA have announced a number of conditions for reconciliation talks to resume.

“This proves how much contradictions are there inside Fatah and the PA,” Raed Abdullah, political analyst in Gaza, said.

In 2014 Hamas conceded its control over the Gaza Strip in favour of a national reconciliation government led by Fatah with no minister from Hamas or its supporters.

However, this government has never carried out its mission in Gaza forcing Hamas to set up an administrative committee for the Strip. The movement said that it would dissolve this committee immediately when the government carries out its mission in Gaza.