US-backed Palestinian businessman tipped to govern Gaza arrested in West Bank

Palestinian security forces in the West Bank have detained a well-known businessman who has claimed he is a US-backed candidate to govern Gaza after the war.

Samir Halileh was arrested this week in Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to reports from Palestinian media cited by All Israel News.

The PA has not officially confirmed the arrest, though Palestinian outlets reported that Halileh was accused of “sowing sectarian divides” following his return to Ramallah from Jordan.

“The public prosecution has extended Samir Halileh's detention to 15 days pending investigation,” a source close to the Palestinian administration told The National.

Halileh has been outspoken about his vision for Gaza once the conflict with Hamas ends. In August, he went public with his plans, but the PA quickly rejected his claims, stressing that no one had been chosen to lead Gaza. In a statement, it condemned the “disgraceful” actions of a businessman positioning himself as a governor, warning Halileh to “stop spreading lies” or face legal consequences.

A former PA cabinet secretary and senior official in the Ministry of Economy, Halileh has a long history within Palestinian institutions. Yet he has grown increasingly frustrated with what he sees as inaction from the leadership.

“They have been hiding for two years,” he told The National in August, explaining why he believed Washington had approached him about the Gaza role instead of the PA.

In a separate interview with Israeli broadcaster Kan News cited in the article, Halileh criticized the Authority, saying it “needs to open the door to the possibility of reviving the Gaza Strip.” He also took aim at Hamas, arguing that both factions “must think about the interests of the Palestinian people.”

“They have a major responsibility to agree to hand over their weapons. If they refuse to do so, it will make reconstruction and stability in Gaza much more difficult,” he added.

Halileh’s detention has been denounced by some Palestinian and Israeli commentators as a move to silence dissenting voices.

By Nazrin Sadigova