Fatah says Gaza committee must be led by Palestinian Authority

Displaced Palestinians are pictured at a temporary shelter near a landfill in Gaza City, on Jan. 11, 2026. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) said on Monday that any committee formed to govern the Gaza Strip must be headed by a minister from the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Fatah spokesperson Munther al-Hayek said in a statement that the proposed administrative body must derive its legitimacy from the Ramallah-based PA, warning that Hamas's refusal to cooperate could deepen the political and geographic divide between Gaza and the West Bank.

"The Palestinian people are facing a dangerous phase that requires a legitimate political system recognised internationally in order to mobilise global support for relief and reconstruction," al-Hayek said.

Fatah's demands followed an announcement by Hamas on Saturday that it would dissolve its existing governing bodies in Gaza, describing the move as a step toward forming an independent administrative committee under a broader framework for post-October 2025 ceasefire governance.

Hamas said on Monday it had submitted a list of 40 candidates to Egyptian authorities to be considered for a technocratic committee to administer the Gaza Strip.

Senior Hamas official Mohammad Nazzal said the proposal had drawn objections from both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the PA. He accused Netanyahu of seeking to undermine the ceasefire agreement and escalate regional tensions to deflect from domestic political pressures.

Hamas, which has controlled Gaza's internal institutions since its 2007 split with Fatah, has urged the PA to pursue "national consensus." While the PA is internationally recognized as the representative of the Palestinian people, its practical influence in Gaza has been minimal for nearly two decades.

Under the terms of the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, Gaza is to be administered by a transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats overseen by an international "Board of Peace." The agreement stipulates that Hamas must disarm and have no future role in the territory's formal governance.