The Day After the War: What the Palestinian Authority Wants in Gaza

16th January 2025

2 minutes read

The Day After the War: What the Palestinian Authority Wants in Gaza

As the announcement of an anticipated truce draws near, how is the Palestinian Authority planning for the day after the war in Gaza?

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa stated on Wednesday that “the Palestinian Authority must be the sole governing power in the Gaza Strip after the war.”

Managing Gaza post-war remains a thorny issue with no clear resolution emerging from negotiations, which have so far focused on a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Speaking at a conference in Norway, Mustafa emphasized that “pressure must continue to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach over two million people facing a severe humanitarian crisis after 15 months of war.”

He added, “The Palestinian Authority alone holds the legitimacy to govern the Gaza Strip once the fighting ends. There must be no attempt to separate Gaza from the occupied West Bank as part of a Palestinian state.”

He further stated, “As we await the ceasefire, it is important to affirm that it will not be acceptable for any other entity to govern Gaza other than the legitimate Palestinian leadership and the government of the State of Palestine.”

He also noted that Norway’s recognition last year of a Palestinian state led by the Palestinian Authority was a significant step toward achieving the two-state solution, which is supported in principle by most of the international community.

Israel rejects any future role for Hamas in Gaza, the movement that governed the territory before the war, and equally opposes the Palestinian Authority’s rule.

The Palestinian Authority was established under the Oslo Accords, signed over three decades ago, granting Palestinians limited self-rule in the West Bank.

Israeli officials accuse the Palestinian Authority of supporting attacks against Israel.

Led by the Fatah movement, founded by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Authority faces opposition from Hamas, its rival, which expelled it from Gaza in 2007 after a brief civil war.