The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, quoted an unnamed presidential source as saying, "What some Israeli media outlets reported about the appointment of a Palestinian figure to administer the Gaza Strip with the knowledge of the Palestinian leadership is incorrect." He added, "The only entity authorized to administer the Gaza Strip is the State of Palestine."
The source stressed that "any dealings other than this are considered a departure from the national line, and are consistent with what the (Israeli) occupation wants, which seeks to separate Gaza from the (occupied) West Bank, and displace its Palestinian residents." He affirmed that "the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian land."
The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth published a report on measures taken by an Israeli lobby group operating in the United States to appoint Palestinian businessman Samir Halila as "governor" of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Tuesday, Halila said, "What was reported in Yedioth Ahronoth is not new. I actually received a call months ago from a Canadian contractor (he did not name him) working with the US administration about finding someone to manage the Gaza Strip who would be acceptable to all parties, as one of the conditions for stopping the war of extermination that Israel has been waging for 22 months."
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"I am not a leader of the Palestinian people," Halila added in an interview with the local Ajyal Radio. "When I received the offer, I discussed the matter directly with (Palestinian) President Mahmoud Abbas several times to gain his support and blessing." He continued, "I do not have direct contact with Hamas, and such contacts are not required. I will be an implementer of Palestinian-Arab-international consensus, not a policy maker."
Halila noted that "the United States, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have a comprehensive vision that will be discussed with the Palestinian Authority, and I will not accept the mission unless it has a comprehensive and clear vision, especially regarding the political framework surrounding the relationship between Gaza and the West Bank." There was no immediate comment on the matter from the aforementioned countries.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide left 61,499 Palestinians dead, 153,575 injured, and more than 9,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
