Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has secretly banned officials from visiting the Gaza Strip following the attack on Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah’s convoy two weeks ago, Quds Press reported yesterday
Official sources told Quds Press that Abbas intended to take more punitive measures against the Gaza Strip but several parties, including Egypt, asked him not to carry out his plans.
The PA is likely to continue running civil services in the Gaza Strip, including the health and education sectors and Hamas would continue running the security sector, the sources added.
Reconciliation efforts are failing, Fatah officials told Quds Press, “because Fatah wanted one political system, while Hamas insisted on a functional division”.
The Palestinian reconciliation has been facing major obstacles and the attack on Hamdallah’s convoy in Gaza early this month further curtailed efforts to bring Fatah and Hamas together.
Read: Gaza security kill suspected attacker of Hamdallah convoy