Hamas Will Support Arab Plans On Gaza Strip If Supported By Palestine

Children in the Gaza Strip. (Twitter/@UNRWA)

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Palestinian militant group would only accept the postwar Gaza Strip reconstruction plan agreed by Arab countries, if it gained support from Palestinians in the enclave, rejecting the "external force" that determines the future of the Gaza Strip.

"Our position is clear, any plans for the future of Gaza, must be achieved through a national consensus, and we will facilitate the process," Qassem told Turkish news agency Anadolu, as quoted by The Times of Israel March 5.

This was conveyed by Qassem when Arab leaders gathered in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday to discuss plans "the day after" to rebuild Gaza, an attempt to oppose the planned takeover of Gaza by the United States made by President Donald Trump.

The plan calls for Hamas to hand over power to a temporary government consisting of independent politicians to the reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) could take over.

"Hamas should not be part of this arrangement, and should not be interested in being involved at all," Qassem added, referring to plans for postwar Gaza.

Qassem said Hamas would not be a "barrier to any arrangements reached through the national consensus and capable of starting reconstruction."

Palestine "is able to find a consensus-based approach with Arab support to achieve this goal," he added.

As previously reported, the leader of Arab countries adopted a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip, Palestine initiated by Egypt, which would cost US$53 billion, avoiding the relocation of Palestinians from the enclave, contrary to the vision of US President Donald Trump's "Middle East Riviera", at the Arab summit on Tuesday. , quoted from Reuters.

The main question that needs to be answered about Gaza's future is who will run the enclave and which country will provide the billions of dollars needed for reconstruction.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Egypt had teamed up with Palestine to form an administrative committee consisting of independent and professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted to rule Gaza after the war ended.

The committee will be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and management of affairs in the Gaza Strip for the time being, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he said.

Any reconstruction funding will require great support from oil-rich Gulf Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have the billions of dollars needed.

Another important issue is the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the rival of PA. The group ruled Gaza since 2007 saying in a statement that they agreed with the Egyptian committee's proposal.

Hamas has agreed not to nominate a candidate for the Cairo-proposed committee, but should grant its approval of the duties, members and agenda of the committee that will work under PA supervision.

Meanwhile, PA leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he welcomed Egypt's ideas and urged President Trump to support plans that would not involve the eviction of Palestinians.

President Abbas further said he was ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if circumstances allowed, adding his PA was the only legitimate government and military force in the Palestinian Territory.

The militant group Hamas said they welcomed the election plan.

Egypt's Reconstruction plan for Gaza is a 112-page document that includes maps of how the land will be re-developed and dozens of color images produced by AI from housing, parks and community center construction. The plan includes commercial ports, technology centers, beach hotels and airports.

Israel is unlikely to oppose Arab entities taking over responsibility for the Gaza government if Hamas is not there, said a source familiar with the matter.