Hamas denies receiving EU proposal to run Gaza

Hamas yesterday denied reports that it has received a proposal offering for the EU to run the Gaza Strip, Quds Press reported.

Senior Hamas political leader Atef Adwan told the news agency: “Hamas’ leadership did not receive any official or unofficial proposals from any EU countries about running the Gaza Strip in return for a limited truce.”

Local media had reported on Sunday that the EU had proposed for Hamas to bear the responsibility for the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip if the PA and Israel agreed to funnel the taxes to the EU fund and Hamas agrees to a five-year truce with Israel.

Adwan went on to say that the Arab League summit’s final statement was a “free invitation for normalising ties” with Israel.

Read: The plastic summit

He also said that the resolutions about Jerusalem “are meaningless because the US decision on the holy city has become a reality on the ground.” Work must be done to reverse the American decision, he continued.

“If there is no pressure or practical measures to cancel the US decision, I think we are heading to a situation which is worse than the ongoing one,” he said.

The summit also failed to discuss Israel’s 11-year siege on the Gaza Strip and its deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters who have come out as part of the Great March of Return, Adwan added.

The Arab League summit was held in Saudi Arabia on Sunday where Arab leaders and senior officials met and declared Jerusalem this year’s “capital of Arab tourism”.