Hamas, Palestinian Authority Officials Leave Cairo Without Agreement on Joint Gaza Rule

Photo Credit: Ahmad Khateib/Flash90

PA security officer loyal to Hamas opens a gate to the Philadelphi corridor between Egypt and Gaza near Rafah, July, 1, 2007.

Negotiations between representatives of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) in Cairo failed to produce an agreement on the administration of Gaza after the ongoing war with Israel, according to multiple sources on Tuesday night.

Earlier in the day, officials from both sides indicated that they were nearing consensus on creating a 15-member “nonpartisan” “Palestinian” committee to separately oversee governance of Gaza, contingent on a truce agreement with Israel. A draft of the proposal, reportedly seen by AFP, suggested the committee would also manage the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing with Egypt.

Despite this, tensions between the two terror groups derailed progress. Senior P.A. official Jibril Rajoub publicly rejected the proposed committee in remarks made in Ramallah. “What committee is this? It is wrong to even discuss this issue,” he said. “We want one government, one security apparatus, and one unified policy. Any discussion or effort outside of this framework is a mistake.” Rajoub insists that only one political system should control the PA-controlled areas and Gaza.

Other key points of contention include Hamas’s demand for guarantees that salaries for its civil and military members will continue under P.A.-led administration, as well as unresolved issues surrounding Gaza’s “security file” and border crossings, according to Arab sources familiar with the talks.

The delegations, headed by Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad, left Cairo on Tuesday evening to further deliberate on the Egyptian-proposed framework.

An Egyptian source claimed Hamas was open to relinquishing sole control over Gaza, meeting Cairo’s insistence that the P.A. assume authority to advance a potential two-state solution. However, any arrangement involving Hamas and the P.A.—both terror groups with a history of attacks and supporting attacks against Israel—remains fraught with challenges.

The United States has rejected any role for Hamas in Gaza’s administration. U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller reiterated in July that “Hamas has long been a terrorist organization. They have the blood of innocent civilians—both Israeli and Palestinian—on their hands. There can’t be a role for a terrorist organization.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has insisted that an “effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority” should govern Gaza—a move that Israel rejects because of Ramallah’s overt support for terrorism.

At the same time, Israel has expressed skepticism about the P.A. governing Gaza, given its history of inciting violence and supporting terrorism. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has advocated for a post-war administration led by local leaders not hostile to the Jewish state, potentially with backing from Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Public opinion polls suggest widespread support among PA Arabs for Hamas-led governance, with 89% reportedly favoring it. Only 8.5% support a Fatah (P.A)-only leadership. This complicates any potential for a transition to a less hostile or terror-free governing entity.

The impasse highlights the difficulty in finding common ground between two factions whose shared enmity for Israel does not translate into mutual trust or cooperation. Both organizations’ histories as terror and terror-supporting entities continue to define their interactions and pose significant barriers to lasting solutions in Gaza.

This article is based on a report by JNS.