The Palestinian Authority (PA), the internationally recognized governing coalition of Palestine, has announced its readiness to take full responsibility for the Gaza Strip. In a statement issued on Friday by the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also the leader of the PA’s largest faction, Fatah, it was confirmed that all necessary preparations have been completed.

The statement emphasized that under President Abbas’s directives, administrative and security teams have been formed to manage Gaza. The PA is prepared to lead efforts to repatriate displaced Palestinians, restore essential services like water and electricity, manage borders, and rebuild Gaza’s infrastructure, including roads and buildings.

Fatah once governed Gaza, but after Hamas won the 2006 elections, it ousted Fatah from the territory by the end of 2007. Since then, Hamas has controlled Gaza, with no elections held in the past 19 years. Hamas also orchestrated the October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken to Gaza by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters.

A ceasefire agreement approved by Israel on Saturday included a condition that Hamas would no longer govern Gaza. While Hamas has not publicly commented, sources indicate that its leadership has accepted this condition. Senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim stated in a 2024 AFP interview that the group no longer wishes to govern Gaza post-ceasefire.

Additionally, recent meetings in Cairo between Hamas and Fatah representatives reached a consensus that any group designated by the Palestinian Authority would be allowed to take leadership in Gaza.