Palestinian Authority could play role in Gaza as part of broader Palestinian solution, says Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that the Palestinian Authority could play a role in managing the Gaza Strip, provided there was a complete political solution that also covered the occupied West Bank.

With Israeli forces now deep inside Gaza, about two weeks after beginning a ground operation to destroy the Islamist movement Hamas, there has been growing speculation about what the future of the territory might look like after the fighting ends.

The United States has said the Palestinians should rule Gaza after the war, but how that would work in practice remains open.

Abbas said he holds Israel fully responsible for events in Gaza, which has been the target of shelling for weeks and has killed more than 11,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials. The air and ground attack follows an attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza on October 7, in which Israel says 1,400 people were killed and approximately 240 taken hostage.

The Palestinian Authority could be part of a broader political solution with an independent Palestinian state, Abbas said.

“Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine and we will assume all our responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution, encompassing both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza,” he said.

Attempts to secure an agreement on a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state have been stalled for nearly a decade, after the last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down in 2014. Although countries, including the United States, have continued to reference the two-state solution, there were no firm signs of any revival of the peace process.

Abbas said there should be an international peace conference to set specific deadlines, backed by international guarantees.