Palestinian Authority should run Gaza in future, leader says
Mohammad Mustafa is Prime Minister of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which rules parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prime Minister has said it “will not be acceptable” for any entity other than the Palestinian Authority to run the Gaza Strip in the future.
Mohammad Mustafa made the comments on Wednesday as he visited Norway, one of three European countries that formally recognised a Palestinian state in May.
Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007, confining the Western-backed Palestinian Authority’s limited self-rule to parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The US has called for a revitalised Palestinian Authority to govern both the West Bank and Gaza ahead of eventual statehood, which the Israeli government opposes.
Mr Mustafa said: “While we’re waiting for the ceasefire, it’s important to stress that it will not be acceptable for any entity to govern Gaza Strip but the legitimate Palestinian leadership and the government of the State of Palestine.”
He added that “any attempt to consolidate the separation between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, or creating transitional entities, will be rejected”.
Mr Mustafa also said that “we should not leave Gaza to vacuum … We are the government of Palestine, ready to hold our responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as we did before”.
