The Palestinian presidency issued a statement on Sunday rejecting Israel’s proposal for international forces to administer Gaza.
“There is no legitimacy for any foreign presence on Palestinian territory, and only the Palestinian people can decide who governs them and manages their affairs,” stated Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesperson for the presidency.
This statement responded to comments from an unnamed Israeli security official, cited by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, who indicated that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) would remain in Gaza until foreign forces took over governance.
“We will not accept or allow the presence of a foreigner on our land, whether in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip,” Abu Rudeineh asserted, emphasizing that “The Palestinian issue is one of land and statehood, not a matter of humanitarian aid. It is a sacred cause and the central issue for the Arabs.”
The proposal includes a steering committee led by the United States and “moderate Arab partners” to supervise the transition, with security overseen by an international force possibly comprising troops from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. US troops would provide logistics, command, and control from outside Gaza, likely from Egypt.
Eventually, local security would be handled by a Palestinian force, trained under an existing security assistance program for the Palestinian Authority, headed by Lt. General Michael Fenzel, a security coordinator for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority based in occupied al-Quds.
Commenting on this, the article’s author noted, “Gallant is reflecting the judgment of the Israeli defense establishment here, even though Netanyahu publicly has rejected a role for the Palestinian Authority in postwar Gaza.”
Netanyahu Opposes Palestinian Authority Involvement
On June 7, Netanyahu declared his opposition to any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. This stance has become a significant political talking point, making it challenging for him to reverse his position.
During a meeting of Israel’s war cabinet before talks in Egypt, Netanyahu stated his disagreement with any role for the Palestinian Authority at the Rafah crossing.
This remark contradicted a policy approved by the war cabinet a few days earlier, which stated that Israel would agree to the Rafah crossing being operated by any government entity other than the Gaza government.
The Commissioner-General of the Supreme Authority of Palestinian clans in Gaza, Akef al-Masri, affirmed on June 24 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers “have not and will not be able to break the will of the Palestinian people in their pursuit of freedom, ending the occupation, establishing a Palestinian state, and achieving the right of return.”
Statements from the clans in the Gaza Strip came after Netanyahu acknowledged the failure of his plan, which proposed that Palestinian clans would govern the Strip instead of Hamas. He reiterated his refusal to hand over administration to the Palestinian Authority or establish a Palestinian state, as reported by Israeli Channel 12.
