Hamas and Fatah 'to form joint committee to administer Gaza'

Hamas and Fatah have agreed to form a committee to administer Gaza following talks in Cairo mediated by Egyptian intelligence, a senior member of Hamas told The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Monday.

"We met with a Fatah delegation to put the finishing touches on the committee that will administer Gaza," the Hamas source said.

He said that the Hamas delegation was headed by senior leader Khalil Al-Hayya, who has been tipped as a possible successor to Yahya Sinwar, while the Fatah delegation was led by Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior member of the Palestinian Authority tipped as a possible successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The new administrative committee will reportedly be made up of "technocrats", and will be assisted by thousands of employees in Gaza, according to the Hamas source.

It will begin operating as soon as Abbas issues a decree establishing it and will work amid Israel's devastating war on Gaza, which has so far killed over 43,000 Palestinians.

It will provide aid and relief to Palestinians and work on reconstruction once the war is over. It will reportedly receive support from Egypt and other Arab states.

News of the committee’s establishment came as Abbas was preparing to visit Cairo and meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday, to discuss the situation in Gaza, Egyptian ceasefire efforts and Palestinian reconciliation.

Hamas and the Fatah movement which Abbas heads have a long-standing rivalry. Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, following a conflict between the two Palestinian groups.

Israel has said that it will not accept any role for either Hamas or the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the governance of the Gaza Strip after the war ends.

It has also insisted on a permanent presence at the Philadelphi corridor which separates Egypt from Gaza and the Netzarim junction in the middle of the strip.

Hamas has insisted that Israel fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip in return for a ceasefire deal and the release of Israeli captives held by the group.

On Sunday, a Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian intelligence officials to discuss the ceasefire and future administration of Gaza.

The delegation reportedly included new members who hadn’t attended previous talks, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, in what is believed to be an attempt by Hamas to show flexibility regarding long-stalled ceasefire talks.