Hamas reportedly agrees to give control of Gaza to Palestinian Authority

Reports in Hebrew and Arab media continue to state that the Hamas terror group is willing to transfer power to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Gaza. 

Citing “exclusive sources” on Sunday evening, Sky News Arabia reported that Hamas sent a letter to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), declaring its willingness to hand over the Gaza Strip to the PA and a governing committee for the future administration of Gaza. 

The sources told the media outlet that “Hamas only conditioned the [handover] on the reintegration of Gaza's employees into the new administration or their retirement, with the guarantee of paying their salaries.” 

The sources confirmed, “Hamas' acceptance of handing over Gaza's governance to the Palestinian Authority came after significant Egyptian pressure on the movement's delegation that visited Cairo.” 

Maher al-Namoura, the spokesperson of the Palestinian Fatah movement, which controls the PA, told Al-Hadath that the Palestinian Authority is capable of managing and rebuilding Gaza on its own. 

Namoura recently welcomed Egyptian, Jordanian, and Arab countries’ statements against the proposal by President Donald Trump to take over Gaza and relocate the residents. 

Following these media reports, Netanyahu issued a statement reiterating his refusal to allow the PA to take control of Gaza after the war.

"Just as I have committed to, on the day after the war in Gaza, there will be neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. I am committed to US President Trump's plan for the creation of a different Gaza," read the statement.

On Sunday, Hamas leader Hazem Qassem said in exclusive statements to the Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath news channels, "We will not cling to the rule of Gaza if it is in the interest of our people.” 

Qassem also affirmed the movement's commitment to the three-stage ceasefire agreement, despite recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

The Hamas official also tried to blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for delays in the ceasefire negotiations. 

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is obstructing the second phase of the Gaza agreement, and the second phase negotiations should have begun, and the mediators should have put pressure on Netanyahu,” Qassem told the Arab news outlets. 

Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, are set to continue this week, according to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

The second phase of negotiations includes the release of all remaining Israeli hostages who are still alive.

Recent statements by Hamas leader, Osama Hamden have cast some doubt on the reports of Hamas’ willingness to hand over governance of the Gaza Strip. 

Speaking at the Al Jazeera Forum on Saturday, Hamdan stated that Hamas would not give up Gaza, or leave under any agreements, nor would it make any concessions in exchange for reconstruction. 

Hamdan also claimed that Hamas is not defeated, and threatened anyone attempting to govern Gaza in place of Hamas. 

“Listen to me carefully as I end this discussion,” Hamdan said. “Anyone who replaces the occupation in Gaza or any city in Palestine will be dealt with only through resistance, just as we deal with the Israeli occupation. This matter is settled and non-negotiable.” 

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas' position on the future governance of the Strip “is based on two principles: The first is that the day after the war and the management of the Gaza Strip are an internal Palestinian matter that requires national consensus. And the second is that Hamas is not interested in managing Gaza, but is interested in a national consensus government that it will not be a part of. If this is not possible, it will be done through the establishment of the Community Support Committee that was previously agreed upon in Cairo.” 

Reports in Israeli media claim there are fissures within the Hamas leadership over the issue of the future of Gaza. However, recent statements by Trump appear to have motivated the terror group to continue with the negotiations. 

A source familiar with the talks told Al-Qahera News that there are intensive exchanges between Egyptian and Palestinian officials to form a temporary committee to oversee the relief and reconstruction of Gaza in an effort to present an alternative to Trump’s proposal for a U.S. takeover of the Gaza Strip.