JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US envoy Steve Witkoff in Jerusalem that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) would not be part of post-war Gaza’s governance “in any way”.
“The PM clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be involved in administering the Strip in any way,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement after the meeting ended.
Under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan that ended a two-year war in the Palestinian territory, the PA’s post-war role in Gaza was left unclear.
The technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was formed to handle day-to-day affairs until the PA completes a reform programme.
Witkoff held talks with Netanyahu on Tuesday, during a visit that followed the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt. This was the second meeting between the two in less than a fortnight. At the meeting, Netanyahu also “reiterated the uncompromising demand for the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, and the fulfilment of the war objectives prior to the reconstruction of the Strip,” according to his office.
