Halila clarifies his position on taking over administration of Gaza after war

Egypt Independent

5 days ago

Palestinian businessman Samir Halila announced on Tuesday that he had been proposed to take over the administration of the Gaza Strip more than a year ago, noting that his acceptance of the position 'is conditioned with the approval of the Palestinian Authority and donors.'
In statements to Sky News Arabia, Halila explained that 'intensive consultations took place with President Mahmoud Abbas, the Prime Minister, and other parties connected to the Palestinian Authority,' adding, 'This is natural because I am a son of the Palestinian Authority.'
He added, 'We are seeking a solution that will save Gaza from war and genocide,' emphasizing that his nomination was 'based on my being independent and having administrative experience.'
He pointed out that Hamas, 'unilaterally announced that it would not be part of the administration of Gaza after the war, and in this sense, it has no problem with an independent administrative committee taking over after the war.'
Halila served as Secretary-General of Ahmed Qurei's third government and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Stock Exchange until March.
Palestinian Presidency denies reports
The Palestinian Presidency denied reports by some Israeli media outlets about efforts to appoint a Palestinian businessman to manage the Gaza Strip, with the knowledge of the Palestinian leadership.
An official source in the Palestinian Presidency told the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) that the only entity authorized to administer the Gaza Strip is the State of Palestine, represented by the government or its agreed-upon administrative committee, as headed by a government minister.
The presidential source emphasized that any approach other than this is a departure from the national line and is consistent with the occupation's desire to separate Gaza from the West Bank and displace its population.
He stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian territories.
According to the source, the Arab Summit in Cairo discussed 'the structure that would govern Gaza after the war,' and proposed a six-month transitional administration, independent of the Palestinian Authority or government, and decentralized in its management.
He added that Israel rejected the plan entirely, and some Arab donor countries expressed reservations about the nature of the proposed relationship.