Palestine head prepared to govern Gaza once fighting ends
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 21, 2024
RAMALLAH, West Bank--The head of the Palestinian Authority said his organization is prepared to form a “technocratic government” in Gaza once peace is established there.
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, called for an end to the fighting in Gaza between Israel and the militant Hamas group and laid out a comprehensive peace plan to realize a two-state solution in an exclusive interview on Feb. 20 with The Asahi Shimbun.
Abbas, 88, criticized the Israeli invasion of Gaza as “an ongoing crime of genocide.”
But he added that, “There is a real opportunity to end this tragedy and turn it into an opportunity to implement the two-state solution” based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
This is the first time that Abbas has spoken with Japanese media since the fighting broke out in Gaza in October 2023.
The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 in the wake of the Oslo Accords and it governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank. But Gaza has been under the control of Hamas since 2007.
After the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023, the Israeli government has not backed down from its objective of destroying Hamas.
While Western and Arab nations are looking toward the Palestinian Authority to become more involved in administering Gaza after the fighting ends, some have also criticized that it has not held elections since 2006 and concerns have also been raised about corruption within the authority.
In November 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden called for a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority to administer both the West Bank and Gaza.
Abbas said the Palestinian Authority had never abandoned Gaza and that it still held responsibility over the lives of Gaza residents.
As for the future administration of Gaza, Abbas said, “We will form a technocratic government of qualified Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for re-establishing the necessary infrastructure for basic services and imposing the rule of law and security.”
Under the comprehensive peace plan being considered by Western and Arab nations, among the topics being discussed are the functioning of such a government, the rebuilding of Gaza and the holding of elections.
The eventual peace plan is expected to include not only recognition of a Palestinian state by foreign governments but also a specific timetable for ending the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza by Israeli troops.
Abbas proposed the holding of an international conference to implement the comprehensive peace plan.
“With Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations, the recognition of Palestine by the European countries and Japan, and to go to an international conference with the aim of implementing the process of ending the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian people will enjoy their freedom and independence and live in safety and peace alongside Israel,” Abbas said.
He also criticized the Biden administration, saying it “did not fulfill its responsibilities to stop the Israeli aggression against our Palestinian people under the pretext of self-defense.”
At the same time, Abbas praised the U.S. statement favoring a two-state solution but said there was a need for “forcing the Israeli occupation authorities to adhere to the political process and the international legitimacy resolutions.”
Abbas also expressed the hope that Japan would recognize the State of Palestine and participate in the international conference to implement the comprehensive peace plan.
“We thank Japan for its support of the political solution on the basis of international law, as well as for its economic support for building the institutions of the Palestinian state,” he said.
(This article was written by Jun Takaku and Fumiaki Sonoyama.)
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