Following the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, President Mahmoud Abbas called for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, stating that Palestine is ready to “assume full responsibility” in Gaza.
Emphasising Gaza as an integral part of Palestine, the Palestinian President in a statement said, “The Presidency affirmed its firm position of the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in and full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Presidency reiterated that it was necessary to establish an immediate ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and pave the way for the State of Palestine to assume full responsibility for the Gaza Strip as an integral part of the occupied territory. The State of Palestine has legal and political jurisdiction over the Strip as it is the case with the rest of the occupied territory of the West Bank and Jerusalem, while affirming rejection of any carving up of the Gaza Strip and forced expulsion of any Palestinian from their homeland.”
It added, “The Palestinian government has completed all preparations to assume full responsibilities in the Strip and that the government administrative and security personnel were fully prepared to carry out their tasks in order to alleviate the suffering inflicted on the Gaza population, allow displaced persons to return to their houses, restore essential services to the Strip, assume responsibility for the border crossings and help commence Gaza reconstruction.”
It also urged international support for humanitarian aid, reconstruction efforts, and a political resolution aligned with UN resolutions.
“The Presidency urges the international community along with neighbouring and donor countries to offer urgent humanitarian aid to enable the government to shoulder its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people, whether in the Gaza Strip which has been subjected to a genocidal war or in the West Bank and Jerusalem which have been subjected to grave Israeli violations,” the Palestinian Presidency said.
It added, “The Presidency reiterates the urgent need for a political solution based on the United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative by holding an international peace conference to mobilize international recognition of the State of Palestine and support its quest for full membership of the United Nations in order to bring about regional security and stability conducive to ending the occupation and realise the establishment of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 borders, in line with international law and the relevant UN resolutions.”
Earlier this week, Hamas agreed on a deal with Israel for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Israel’s security cabinet approved the deal on Friday evening, and it awaits endorsement from the wider government cabinet.
While the full details of the agreement have not been officially disclosed, the ceasefire is expected to unfold in three phases, beginning with a six-week truce set to take effect on Sunday.
In the first phase, hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel are to be released. Displaced Palestinians in Gaza will be allowed to start returning to their homes. According to US President Joe Biden, Israeli troops will withdraw from “all” populated areas in Gaza, and aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip will increase significantly.
Biden described the second phase as aiming for a permanent end to the war, with negotiations starting on the 16th day. This stage would involve releasing the remaining hostages, including men, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. It would also see a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The third phase focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of any deceased hostages’ remains.
