US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the Palestinian Authority, in its current state, cannot rule the Gaza Strip after Hamas.
Miller added – during a press conference in Washington yesterday, Wednesday – that the United States believes that the Authority is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and that after it is reformed and empowered, it can unify and manage the Palestinian territories, as he put it.
The US State Department spokesman also said that an idea cannot be changed with weapons, referring to the resistance in Gaza.
Miller continued that “neutralizing” Hamas and its future influence requires Israel and the international community to provide alternatives after the end of the conflict that meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people, he said.
Recently, US officials, including White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, have spoken of the need to “revitalize” the Palestinian Authority, so that it is able to govern Gaza and the West Bank.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the existence of differences with Washington regarding what he called the “post-Hamas phase,” expressing his hope to reach understandings between the two sides on this issue. Netanyahu had repeatedly announced his refusal for the Palestinian Authority to take over the administration of Gaza after the war.
On the other hand, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, confirmed that any arrangements without Hamas and the resistance in the Gaza Strip would be an illusion and a mirage.