PA President Abbas says his administration is ready to assume 'full responsibility' in post-war Gaza

The Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas vowed on Friday that his administration is prepared to assume “full responsibility” for governing Gaza in a post-war period.

“The Palestinian government, under President Abbas’s directives, has completed all preparations to assume full responsibility in Gaza,” read the official statement from Abbas’ office in Ramallah.

Furthermore, his office also “highly commended” Qatar and Egypt for their respective work in realizing the ceasefire agreement between the terrorist organization Hamas and Israel, which is expected to take effect on Sunday.

In addition, Abbas’ office also “voiced appreciation” for the American, Saudi and Jordanian contributions in securing the hostage ceasefire agreement. 

Abbas also dispatched his prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa, to Brussels where he met with his European Union member states' counterparts on Friday. Mustafa claimed during his visit in Europe that the PA has developed a “hundred-day plan” for the Gaza Strip that could be carried out as soon as the ceasefire is implemented 

“The Palestinian ministers have clear instructions on what to do from the moment the ceasefire begins,” Mustafa told the Belgian Belga news agency. “It depends on how the Israelis will behave in the coming days, but we are trying to be as ready as possible,” the PA prime minister added. 

Abbas’ Fatah party, which controls the PA, briefly controlled Gaza from the unilateral Israeli withdrawal in 2005 until it was violently ousted by its rival Hamas in 2007. 

In August 2024, Abbas vowed that he would visit Gaza even at the risk of his life. 

“I have decided to go to Gaza with other brothers from the Palestinian leadership,” Abbas told the Turkish parliament. “I will do that, even if this would cost my life,” he added. The PA leader also asked Israel for permission to visit Gaza. However, Abbas has to date still not visited Gaza since his Fatah party was expelled by Hamas in 2007. 

Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas as an organized military force and not allow the terror organization to have any political influence in post-war Gaza. However, at the same time, the Israeli Netanyahu government has also voiced opposition to allowing an unreformed PA to assume responsibility in Gaza due to its incitement against Israel and the Jewish people. 

In December 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that neither Hamas nor Fatah would rule Gaza in the future. 

“Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan,” Netanyahu stated. “After the great sacrifice of our civilians and our soldiers, I will not allow the entry into Gaza of those who educate for terrorism, support terrorism and finance terrorism,” he added, referring to Abbas’ Fatah party, which incentivizes terrorism against Israel through its controversial “pay for slay” policy. 

In contrast, the Biden administration has consistently remarked that a “reformed” PA could eventually be tasked to assume governing responsibilities in the Gaza Strip. However, in addition to its antisemitic incitement, the PA is also widely considered a corrupt and ineffective organization by the local Muslim Arab population in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank. 

Netanyahu has largely avoided discussing Gaza’s political future due to opposition from the far-right parties in his fragile coalition government. However, in February 2024, Netanyahu reportedly revealed that he seeks “local officials” in Gaza with “administrative experience” to rule the coastal enclave in the post-war era.

In other words, Netanyahu seeks the emergence of a new Gaza administration that has no affiliation to Hamas, or the PA (Fatah). 

It is currently unclear whether the Netanyahu government has identified local individuals from Gaza’s various tribes with no terror affiliations that could potentially rule Gaza in the future.