Hamas and Fatah agree to create a joint committee to run post-war Gaza

Hamas and Fatah agree to create a joint committee to run post-war Gaza

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• Negotiators from Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah party announced an agreement to establish a joint committee to govern Gaza in the post-war period.
• This committee is part of efforts to ensure the smooth reconstruction and management of Gaza following ongoing conflicts.
• The agreement follows talks in Cairo, where Egypt facilitated negotiations between the two rival factions.

Composition and responsibilities of the Committee:

• The committee would consist of 10 to 15 non-partisan figures who will have authority in key sectors such as economy, education, health, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction.
• The committee would also be tasked with managing the Rafah checkpoint, the only border crossing from Gaza that does not share a border with Israel, and it will be the primary entry point for humanitarian assistance and goods into Gaza.

Hamas-Fatah rivalry:

• After Hamas’s victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections, violent clashes broke out between Hamas and Fatah, resulting in Hamas seizing control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.
• Since then, Fatah has governed the Palestinian Authority and holds partial administrative control over the West Bank, while Hamas has retained power in Gaza.
• This division has created significant political fragmentation within Palestinian governance.