Fatah spokesman: Hamas must step aside in Gaza for Palestinian unity

The Fatah movement, led by Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas, has called on Hamas to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip.

Munther Hayek, Fatah’s spokesman in Gaza, made the statement, which was reported by the WAFA news agency, per Caliber.Az.

Hayek stressed that Hamas’ continued rule in Gaza poses a serious threat to the Palestinian people's struggle for their rights and urged the group to reconsider its position. He emphasized the need for Hamas to acknowledge the voices calling for change within the Gaza Strip.

“We call on Hamas to listen to the voice of our people by withdrawing from the government stage in the Gaza Strip to allow the PNA and the Palestine Liberation Organization to carry out their duties,” Hayek stated.

Hamas took control of Gaza from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in 2007 following a violent power struggle. Repeated reconciliation attempts between the two factions have since failed.

The ongoing conflict has left Gaza devastated, following Israel’s military offensive in response to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and other Palestinian militants on Israeli territory.

Hamas has stated multiple times that it is willing to relinquish control over Gaza after the war ends, but has made it clear that it will not give up its weapons.

“We are ready to accept any agreement regarding the governance of Gaza (after the war) and are not interested in participating in it,” Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanu said on March 22.

“What is important to us is national consensus,” he added, noting that Hamas had backed an Egyptian proposal to establish an independent committee to govern Gaza after the war and oversee its reconstruction.

Abbas, however, insisted that any such committee should report to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which he said remains the sole legitimate governing body of Gaza. The proposal was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Following disagreements over the next steps outlined in the January 19 Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israel resumed airstrikes on March 18 and launched a ground operation the following day.

On March 21, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning that Israel could annex parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release the remaining Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attack.

The conflict began when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza border, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Of the 251 hostages seized by Hamas, 58 remain in captivity. Israeli officials have stated that 34 of them are confirmed dead.

By Tamilla Hasanova