Jihad Harb: What is required is an agreement on forming a national salvation government whose primary goal is to unify the Palestinians politically and strengthen their steadfastness.

Talal Okal: Any form of official Palestinian work in the Strip has become a necessity and perhaps the last attempt to save what can be saved

Abdul Marouf: Forming a committee to administer the Gaza Strip without Hamas’s participation confirms that national reconciliation is a fantasy

Dr. Fawzi Al-Samhouri: Forming a committee to administer Gaza comes at an important time to prevent the occupation from maintaining its control over the Strip

Moeen Al-Taher: The solution lies in forming a national unity government as an alternative to the Cabinet Committee and the Community Support Committee

Dr. Riad Al-Aila: Outside the framework of national consensus and in light of the current situation, the Gaza Strip Administration Committee will not succeed

Months after announcing the agreement to form a “community support committee” as a “local alternative” to the national consensus government to manage the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian government announced in its weekly session last Tuesday the formation of a working committee to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip. This comes more than two weeks after the start of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the start of preparations for the second phase of the agreement.

Prime Minister Dr. Mohamed Mustafa said during his speech at the opening of the session: “The government, as part of its ongoing efforts, in coordination with our brothers, especially the Republic of Egypt and the concerned parties, and with direct instructions from the President, is working to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid, open roads, remove rubble, and provide suitable gatherings to shelter those whose homes were destroyed, in preparation for comprehensive reconstruction.”

Writers and analysts who spoke to “I” ruled out the possibility of the committee succeeding in its work outside the framework of national consensus and in light of the current situation. They stressed that the Palestinians must change direction and agree to form a national salvation government to replace the Cabinet Committee and the Community Support Committee, and that its primary goal should be to unify the Palestinians politically and strengthen their steadfastness.

It is unlikely that the Gaza Strip Administration Committee will achieve success.

Writer and political analyst Jihad Harb believes that the government’s announcement of the formation of a working committee to manage the Gaza Strip comes in the context of what the Palestinian government has talked about since its inception, with regard to caring for the sector and completing previous procedures related to the government emergency committee that was formed from all government institutions.

“Despite the importance of having a committee to manage the Gaza Strip, and although I prefer that the government be responsible for the Strip and not a committee branching off from it, the lack of understanding with the existing institutions in Gaza, which manage the government there, makes me not believe that this committee will achieve success, even if it is able to obtain an Arab or international incubator, because on the ground, it will not have the ability to work without coordination with the existing parties,” he added.

Regarding the solution required at this stage, Harb said: “In light of US President Trump’s recent statements, the Palestinians must change direction, meaning moving towards a real Palestinian partnership in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and establishing a government or reaching an agreement to form a national salvation government, whose primary goal is to unify the Palestinians politically and strengthen their steadfastness.”

He explained that such a government, regardless of its form, whether it is made up of technocrats, independents, or even parties, will enjoy broad Arab support, especially in light of the confrontation with the new American administration and its statements regarding the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, and attempts to eliminate their existence not only geographically, but historically as well.

A rescue government of independents and technocrats to confront Trump's plans

Regarding the impact of accelerating the reconstruction process on Trump’s plans, Harb said: “When we have a national salvation government, preferably made up of independents or technocrats, this could limit the implementation of these plans. Personally, I prefer it to be made up of technocrats or independents, because they have the experience and knowledge in managing Palestinian public affairs, and they also have the competence and ability to make decisions without hesitation.”

He added: "The national salvation government we are talking about must be internationally and Arab accepted, and at the same time represent all Palestinians, because no government or committee can run the Gaza Strip without an understanding or agreement between the Fatah and Hamas movements."

Harb stressed that "no government can rule in the West Bank or Gaza without a partnership, regardless of the nature and size of this partnership between Fatah and Hamas or the rest of the Palestinian factions. There is no government that can work effectively without an understanding between the two main ruling parties in the West Bank and Gaza."

The next four years will be very pivotal.

For his part, writer Talal Okal considered that the situation is very delicate and dangerous, and that the next four years will be very critical, not only for the Palestinians, but for the entire Middle East region.

He added: "What Trump said after his meeting with Netanyahu is very clear. Trump is not joking, and the Palestinians are...

They were too late and did not read anything about future developments and the state of the conflict.”

He explained that issues such as displacement, imposing sovereignty over the West Bank, and determining the form of authority for the Palestinians, whether it be a state or non-state, were clear before Trump arrived.

He added: "The war is moving to another stage, and what is happening now in the West Bank is a repetition of what is happening in Gaza, and all of this is linked to the displacement plan."

He pointed out that Gaza was the beginning because of the pretext used by Trump, while in the West Bank, displacement attempts will increase more with the support of Netanyahu, with talk of Egypt and Jordan as potential areas for immigration, within the framework of a broader Israeli vision.

Awkal stressed that any form of official Palestinian action in the Gaza Strip has become a necessity, and this may be the last attempt to save what can be saved, and stop the displacement plans or repeat the war scenario again.

"I don't think Hamas is enthusiastic or happy to insist on remaining in official power in the Gaza Strip. This idea was proposed before and agreed upon, including by Fatah and under Egyptian sponsorship, but the Palestinian Authority and the PLO rejected it, and now they may be forced to return to it, because there is no other option to obstruct the American-Israeli project currently being proposed," he added.

He stressed that this matter must be understood by all parties, whether Hamas, the rest of the resistance factions, or any other Arab party.

Expect Israeli and American obstacles to the committee's work

Regarding the possibility of the committee’s success, Awkal said: “There will certainly be clear Israeli and American obstacles, and Israeli rejection is strongly present, and there is no Arab readiness to protect this proposal or this initiative.”

He added: "Over the past 15 months, we have seen the limits of the Arab position, and it was not effective in stopping the war or confronting the Israeli plans, so a new step is necessary, regardless of how successful it is, because there are simply no other alternatives."

Awkal stressed that the only solution is to move forward with this idea, and the necessity of holding a quick dialogue about it, so that the Palestinians agree on the powers of this committee, its relationship with the authority and the official position, and its connection to the West Bank.

At the end of his statement, Awkal stressed the importance of everyone showing tolerance and flexibility, adding: "There are no other ideas currently on the table, and talk about restoring unity and reconciliation is just empty talk at this stage, as no attempts have succeeded during the past period."

Facing developments and challenges in a state of weakness, fragmentation and deterioration

In turn, writer and political analyst Abdul Marouf considered the Palestinian government’s announcement of the formation of a committee to administer the Gaza Strip without the participation of Hamas, as confirming once again: First, the state of Palestinian division, and that reconciliation between “Fatah” and “Hamas” is a figment of the imagination, and that the meetings and conferences of the factions’ leaders in the world’s capitals are a waste of time.

He added: Secondly, the Palestinian movements have different points of view regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip and its impact on the course of the Palestinian cause. Hamas deals with the new reality as if it had achieved a historic victory. Fatah, on the other hand, sees what happened in Gaza as an ill-considered adventure and a humanitarian disaster that led to casualties, destruction, displacement and a sad humanitarian situation.

Marouf said that in the face of a fateful station in the history of the Palestinian cause and the challenges facing the Palestinian people, the factions go to read the current scene without a unified position and without any coordination, but rather go to confront the developments in a state of weakness, fragmentation and deterioration.

He stressed that the general Palestinian scene portends a future that does not inspire much hope in light of the treatment methods followed by the various Palestinian leaderships, and the arenas will remain open to dangerous possibilities: the continuation and escalation of the Israeli aggression in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the displacement of the largest number of the Palestinian people from Gaza and the West Bank, with the aim of liquidating the Palestinian cause, and the expansion of the scope of the dispute between the Palestinian factions, which portends armed clashes between them, and spreads a state of despair and frustration among the Palestinian people.

The writer Marouf believes that if the Palestinian government in Ramallah decides to work on the ground to form a committee to administer Gaza without reaching an agreement with Hamas, this will entail many risks and will face strong opposition from other factions (Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front) and broad popular sectors in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which makes its failure possible. If the Authority succeeds in imposing the committee, this will increase Palestinian conflicts, divisions and clashes.

Slogans and speeches are not enough to make Gaza administration successful

He added: "It is true that the Palestinian Authority relies in its political movement on its legitimacy, international and Arab relations, and the agreements signed with the Israeli side, and raises slogans that stir popular sentiments (unity of Palestinian lands, strengthening national unity), but these slogans and speeches are not enough to make the administration of Gaza successful in a way that guarantees security, stability, reconstruction, and a decent life."

Marouf stressed that the Hamas movement, which has extended its authority in Gaza since 2007, is dealing with the current reality as if it has achieved victory, and believes that the other Palestinian factions and their popular base are capable of preserving its role and position on the Palestinian scene.

Marouf concluded his statement by stressing that the Palestinian reality is becoming more bitter and tragic, and that all Palestinian factions, without exception, are no longer up to the challenges facing the Palestinian cause in general and in Gaza in particular. He said: The disagreement between Fatah and Hamas over options and policies increases the complexity and impotence of matters, and the current Palestinian situation does not deter aggression, does not restore legitimate rights, and does not help in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The PLO has the mandate and legitimacy to administer Gaza.

The writer and political analyst Dr. Fawzi Al-Samhouri said: “The government’s decision to form a working committee to administer Gaza comes at an important time in terms of: First, it thwarts the opportunity for the Israeli colonial entity to perpetuate its control over the Strip under the pretext of the absence of a responsible party to administer the Gaza Strip, and its refusal for the Palestinian National Authority to assume full responsibility for the Gaza Strip.

Secondly, to stress that the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, is the only party with the mandate and legitimacy to assume the administration of Gaza, which constitutes an integral part of the occupied Palestinian state, and is internationally recognized as well as under the Oslo Agreement, according to Al-Samhouri.

Thirdly, a message to the international community to deal only with Palestinian legitimacy with regard to achieving security and stability for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and in re-securing basic and humanitarian needs of food, medicine, shelter and reconstruction, and a call to refuse to deal with any committee or body created by the Israeli enemy.

Fourth, work to establish the Palestinian people on their land, rejecting the conspiracy of forced displacement.

The success of the committee's work means the failure of Israel's plans

Al-Samhouri stressed that the committee will face challenges and obstacles from the Israeli occupation authorities to abort its work. He said that the success of the Palestinian government through the work of the committee means the failure of the American-backed Israeli plan to perpetuate the separation of the geography of the Palestinian state and abort the plan for total or partial displacement.

He believes that the decision to form the committee requires the concerted and unified efforts of all Palestinian forces, including parties, factions, civil society institutions, and popular activities, and rallying around the PLO and its internationally supported Palestinian strategy in confronting the Israeli colonial occupation and its plans to undermine the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Intensifying political, diplomatic and parliamentary efforts

Al-Samhouri stressed that the success of the committee's work requires intensifying political, diplomatic and parliamentary efforts at the Arab, Islamic and international levels to mobilize actual support for the committee's work, especially with regard to securing urgent financial support and basic aid for the Palestinian people.

He added: The success of the Palestinian committee's work is certainly available, but without international support by pressuring Israel, the agent of America, to end its aggression completely, lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, and not interfere in allowing or refusing to bring in reconstruction and development needs under flimsy pretexts that constitute a major obstacle to the success of the committee, meaning that the international will to support the committee represents a major factor.

Al-Samhouri stressed at the end of his statement to Al-Quds that according to international law, Israel bears the legal responsibility to compensate the Palestinian people for the material and moral damages they have suffered, and therefore bears full responsibility for rebuilding what it has destroyed under penalty of sanctions.

Forming a committee to administer Gaza in isolation from Hamas is an incorrect decision

In turn, writer and researcher Moein Al-Taher said: “I do not believe that the decision of the Palestinian Council of Ministers to form a committee to administer Gaza, without the participation of Hamas, is a sound decision, and I do not believe that the decision to form a committee for community support without the participation of the two parts of the homeland and the Palestinian Authority is a sound decision either.”

He added: "We must preserve the unity of the Palestinian political system and the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on their land."

Al-Tahir pointed out that the problem lies in the solution, especially after the recent statements of US President Trump, in which he spoke about an American occupation of the Gaza Strip, and the US ownership of the Strip, in addition to the clear displacement plan that was prepared and outlined months ago.

“I think this situation requires all parties, starting with President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas, and passing through all the national forces, factions and figures, to take a different position from the ongoing disputes, and a position different from the silence that the Authority has maintained. It also requires a position that goes beyond merely continuing the war of genocide on the Gaza Strip. What is required is a position that ends the division and unites the Palestinian ranks. Without that, we will not be able to support the steadfastness of our people or confront the plans that Netanyahu and Trump are hatching,” he said.

Gaza will not be ruled by Hamas and will not be ruled without it

Al-Tahir stressed: "I do not think that this committee will succeed in its work, as Gaza will not be ruled by Hamas, but at the same time, it is difficult to rule without it. Also, the Palestinian Authority cannot rule Gaza alone, as this will lead to more disagreements and division."

He concluded by saying: “The solution lies in forming a national consensus government that would replace the committee that the Cabinet issued a decision to form, as well as the community support committee that Egypt, Hamas and some factions are working to establish. It is necessary to form a national consensus government and a unified national leadership that will undertake all the dangerous tasks that threaten the entire Palestinian cause, whether in Gaza, the West Bank or in all of Palestine, in light of the liquidation plans that are being hatched against it.”

A step to keep the PLO away from carrying out its duties

For his part, Dr. Riyad Al-Aila, Professor of Political Science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, stressed that any project or proposal to form a committee with multiple names to support the administration or otherwise is a step that supports the exclusion of the Palestine Liberation Organization from carrying out its duties as the sole representative of the Palestinian people and their cause.

“At the same time, the issue is not to remove Hamas, but there is a fundamental issue centered around the division, which requires ending it and strengthening national unity to confront the plans of the current American administration, which aims to liquidate the Palestinian cause and prevent the return of refugees to their cities and villages, even though the international organization confirmed in its charter their right to return, and for this purpose established the UNRWA to manage the refugee file until they return to their homes, in addition to the necessity of building an independent state for the Palestinian people, similar to the rest of the peoples of the world who gained their independence,” he added.

He pointed out that the Palestinian people have been struggling for about eighty years to achieve this goal.

Al-Aila stressed that any thought of establishing a committee for management and support is consistent with the vision of those who consider it a means to end the Palestinian cause, calling for the complete cancellation of such ideas, because they constitute participation that does not serve the Palestinian people or their cause.

Regarding the chances of the committee’s work succeeding, Al-Aila said: “I believe that outside the framework of national consensus, it will not succeed, especially in light of the current situation, the ongoing massacres against the Palestinian people, and the recent statements of the American president regarding the occupation of the Gaza Strip.”