White House nominated me for Gaza governor role, says Samir Halileh

Palestinian businessman Samir Halileh has stated that his nomination to serve as “Gaza Governor” after the war in the territory came from the White House, not from Tel Aviv, stressing that he is ready for the role.

He explained that he was chosen because the position requires someone independent, technical, experienced in governance, and accepted by society.

In an interview with the Israeli Arabic-language channel i24, Halila revealed that his name had been discussed with Egypt and Jordan, expecting Washington to discuss the issue also with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Hamas and other concerned parties.

Speaking about the Palestinian Authority, he said: “When I received the offer, I immediately informed the Palestinian Authority.”

Halileh said that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar should finance the reconstruction process with $53 billion over five years. He added that an Arab-international force should oversee security during the transitional phase until the Palestinian police take over the security file in the territory.

In a related context, a Palestinian presidency source urged businessman Halila “to stop spreading lies,” emphasising via the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state, under the sole authority of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Government.

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