Official: PA would go to Gaza, if it’s allowed to work freely

The Palestinian Authority would immediate go to the Gaza Strip if it was able to work freely there, presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah said.

“We are fully committed to the 2017 agreement signed with Hamas and are fully prepared to implement it if Hamas declares its commitment to Egyptian guarantees,” Abu Rudeinah said, adding that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership will never accept a parallel state in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Rudeinah explained that the Palestinian authority transfers nearly $100 million a month to the Gaza Strip for health, education and pensions.

“The door is still open, our hands are extended to support Gaza, and we have full confidence in the Egyptian guarantees. Hamas must abide by what has been signed,” he added.

Since April 2017, the PA head has been imposing punitive measures on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a means of attacking Hamas. Thousands of government employees in Gaza have had their salaries halved and patients needing treatment overseas have had funding applications rejected by Ramallah. The running costs of ministries in the coastal enclave have also been left unpaid.

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