Palestinian factions agree to hand Gaza to technocrat committee

GAZA (AFP) - The main Palestinian political factions, including Hamas, said on Friday they had agreed that an independent committee of technocrats would take over the running of post-conflict Gaza.

During a meeting in Cairo, according to a joint statement published on the Hamas website, the groups agreed to hand “over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a temporary Palestinian committee composed of independent technocrats”.

It said the committee would “manage the affairs of life and basic services in cooperation with Arab brothers and international institutions”.

The statement also said the factions had agreed to work on unifying a common position “to confront the challenges facing the Palestinian cause”.

It called for a meeting of all forces and factions to “agree on a national strategy and to revitalise the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”.

Hamas is not part of the PLO, which is dominated by its longtime rival Fatah.

An informed source told AFP that delegations from Hamas and Fatah met in Cairo to discuss the second phase of a US-backed ceasefire plan in Gaza.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that both sides agreed to “continue meetings in the coming period and to work on organising the Palestinian internal front in the face of the challenges posed by the Israeli government”.

Alongside the Hamas-Fatah talks, Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad met senior officials from key Palestinian factions.