Senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub rejects the plan for a Palestinian technocratic committee to run the Gaza Strip, a position that contradicts the official stance of the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas.
In a public statement circulated on Arab media, Rajoub said that he is opposed to the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), claiming the concept is an Israeli formula aimed at deepening the Palestinian split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
"The Gaza committee is an Israeli recipe for reinforcing Palestinian division," Rajoub said. "We should never have agreed to or accepted the committee under any circumstances."
He said that from the outset, he has opposed the idea of setting up the new Palestinian committee for administering Gaza, explaining he views this move as intended to prevent Palestinian unity and the establishment of a single Palestinian state.
"Any step should have been based on the unity of the Palestinian territory and the unity of the Palestinian political system under the umbrella of the PLO, as well as the unity of the service apparatus under a single government," Rajoub said in a podcast interview.
He noted he believes the committee has failed, adding, "if it had succeeded, we would have ended up as two peoples, two governments, and two states."
Fatah official contradicts PA's endorsement for post-war Gaza plan
Rajoub's public statement runs counter to the PA's official position, which has endorsed the newly formed technocratic body, supervised by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, as part of the arrangements for post-war Gaza.
PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas expressed support for the Gaza committee shortly after its establishment in January. The Palestinian presidency stated it "welcomes the efforts of President Trump to complete the implementation of his peace plan and backs the formation of the Palestinian committee to administer the Gaza Strip during this transitional phase."
While the statement also mentioned the "importance of linking PA institutions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and avoiding any administrative, legal, or security systems that perpetuate separation," its primary message was one of support for the committee, reflecting the PA's desire to avoid confrontation with the Trump administration.
The move also came amid opposition from the Israeli government to any role for the PA in Gaza, as well as the PA's own understanding that it could not assume control of the strip as long as Hamas is not fully dismantled.
The PA has viewed the committee as a practical, temporary solution for the transitional phase of ending the war and rebuilding Gaza, which could eventually pave the way for unified governance of all Palestinian territories under the PLO.
Rajoub told The Jerusalem Post he was the only figure to reject the policy adopted by the Palestinian leadership in this regard. His remarks, which challenge the PA's announced stance, come after his recent re-election to Fatah's central committee in Ramallah.
Hamas' reluctance to disarm holding up peace process
The NCAG has been tasked with civil governance in the strip, managing daily affairs and providing public services, including maintaining civil order and security. It was expected to begin operating in Gaza upon advancing to the second phase of Trump's peace plan. However, for now, it is working from Egypt and has not yet entered the strip.
Delays were linked to the question of disarmament, specifically, Hamas’s unwillingness to commit to fully relinquishing its weapons. Officials from the terror organization have claimed that what hindered progress was Israel’s ‘violation of the ceasefire agreement and its reluctance to pull out from the territory of Gaza.’
In recent days, Hamas held a round of talks in Cairo with other Palestinian factions and mediators to discuss ‘mechanisms for implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement and understandings regarding the next phases of the future administration of the Strip.’
The organization's spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, said on Tuesday that "Hamas and the Palestinian factions demonstrated flexibility toward proposals during the talks," and stated that "several acceptable approaches were reached by those who attended the discussions." Hamas official Taher al-Nounou announced that "progress was achieved."