Palestinian Prime Minister Affirms His State Authority Must Hold Control Of Government After Gaza War

Gaza/UNRWA Refugees

JAKARTA - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa stressed Palestinian authorities should be the only government force in Gaza after the war.

Currently, an agreement to stop Hamas-Israeli fighting including starting to return Israeli hostages is claimed to be getting closer.

Who will lead Gaza after the war remains one of the major unanswered questions in the negotiations, which focused on an immediate ceasefire and the exchange of hostages who are still being held.

Speaking at a conference in Norway, Mustafa said pressure should continue to be put to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid to more than 2 million people facing a severe humanitarian crisis after a 15-month war.

"Only the Palestinian Authority has the right to take over government in the Gaza Strip after the fighting ends and there should be no attempt to separate Gaza from the occupied West Bank as part of the Palestinian state," he said.

"While we are waiting for a ceasefire, it is important to emphasize that no other entity can rule the Gaza Strip other than the legitimate leadership of Palestine and the Palestinian state government," he continued.

Palestinian Prime Minister said last year's Norwegian recognition of the Palestinian state under the Palestinian Authority was an important step towards a two-state solution that is in principle supported by most of the international community.

Israel rejected Hamas' involvement in control of Gaza before the war, but they also oppose the government of the Palestinian Authority, a body formed under Oslo's temporary peace agreement three decades ago that limits rule in Western countries. Bank.

Israeli officials accused the Palestinian Authority of supporting the attack on Israel and said broad support for Hamas among Palestinians outside Gaza meant any Palestinian state would surely be taken over by the Islamist group.