Hamas Calls for National Unity as Fatah Boycotts Cairo Talks on Gaza Administration
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said on Monday that the movement has presented “positive and advanced” positions aimed at organizing the Palestinian political situation, following Egypt’s invitation to Palestinian political groups to meet in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and the possible formation of a technocratic committee to administer the Strip.
According to Al-Jazeera, Qassem urged the leadership of the Palestinian Authority to rise to what he described as a historic moment and move toward national consensus.
He reportedly warned that no Palestinian faction should attempt to exploit the crisis in Gaza or obstruct efforts toward unity, stressing that Israel is targeting all components of the Palestinian political and social fabric across multiple arenas.
Qassem called for a unified national position to confront what he described as unprecedented threats to the Palestinian cause.
In response, the Fatah movement said on Sunday that any committee established to administer the Gaza Strip must derive its legitimacy from the sovereign institutions of the State of Palestine, announcing that it would not participate in the planned Cairo meeting.
In a statement issued by Fatah spokesperson Abdel Fattah Dawla, the movement said the legitimacy of any Gaza administration—regardless of its composition or designation—must be linked to the recognized authority of Palestinian state institutions.
Fatah emphasized that Gaza is an inseparable part of the Palestinian state and its political and legal system, which encompasses both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem.
The statement added that any serious and meaningful inter-factional dialogue must be grounded in clear principles, including recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, adherence to international legitimacy, and the establishment of a unified political system, legal framework, civil and security institutions, and a single authority over arms.
