Daijiworld Media Network – Cairo
Cairo, Oct 25: In a significant political development, major Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed to hand over the administration of post-war Gaza to an independent committee of technocrats, marking a potential step toward Palestinian unity and reconstruction efforts.
According to a joint statement released on the Hamas website following a meeting in Cairo on Friday, the factions decided to establish a temporary Palestinian committee “composed of independent technocrats” to oversee governance and basic services in Gaza. The committee will reportedly work “in cooperation with Arab brothers and international institutions” to manage daily affairs in the war-battered enclave.
The factions also vowed to unify their political stance to confront “the challenges facing the Palestinian cause,” calling for a broader meeting of all Palestinian forces to agree on a national strategy and to revitalize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
Hamas, which is not part of the PLO, has long maintained a tense relationship with its rival Fatah, the dominant faction within the organization. Their deep-seated political rivalry, dating back to the 2006 elections and subsequent armed clashes, has repeatedly undermined efforts to achieve national reconciliation.
An informed source told AFP that delegations from Hamas and Fatah met in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the US-backed ceasefire plan in Gaza. Both sides reportedly agreed to “continue meetings in the coming period” and to strengthen the Palestinian internal front “in the face of challenges posed by the Israeli government.”
Alongside the Hamas-Fatah discussions, Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad held talks with senior officials from other key Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) — both of which are PLO member factions.
In December 2024, Hamas and Fatah had reached a preliminary agreement to form a joint committee for post-war Gaza administration, though the move faced criticism from within Fatah.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since seizing control in 2007, has repeatedly stated that it does not wish to govern post-war Gaza, but has resisted international calls to disarm its fighters.