Palestinian National Authority ready to operate in Gaza after conflict ends: official

China

Palestinian National Authority ready to operate in Gaza after conflict ends: official

2025-07-17 20:29 Last Updated At：23:07

The Palestinian Authority is prepared to operate in the Gaza Strip once a ceasefire agreement is reached between Israel and Hamas, said Sami Hijjawi, the Palestinian National Authority's Minister for Local Governance.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Hijjawi confirmed that all ministries are ready to implement the "Arab plan" for the reconstruction of Gaza, which was adopted at the Arab Summit in Cairo in March.

"The Palestinian government has long been ready to move to the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire. Of course, the Palestinian government, with its various ministries, has prepared the necessary plans, and these plans were translated into the Arab plan that was approved at the Arab Summit held in Cairo in March. Therefore, we are ready, with all our Palestinian government staff, to work in the Gaza Strip after the war ends," said Hijjawi.

He emphasized that Israel's plan to transfer hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to Rafah, as well as other displacement initiatives, have been rejected by the Palestinian government and the Palestinian leadership.

"This plan, prepared by the Israeli Government, and other plans for relocation of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, are rejected by the Palestinian government and the Palestinian leadership. In general, we have always stressed that the end of the aggression will surely be followed by people moving to the places they inhabited before this unjust war was launched against our people in the Gaza Strip. Thus, the whole relocation plan and repositioning of people in the Gaza Strip, both from north to south and from south to north, is absolutely unacceptable," said Hijjawi.

Hijjawi stressed that the Palestinian National Authority retains the sole right and jurisdiction to administer the Gaza Strip as part of Palestinian territory.

As indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue in the Qatari capital, Doha, Palestinians remain cautiously hopeful for an agreement to end the conflict, which has persisted for over 20 months.

UN chief urges diplomacy amid US military threats against Iran: spokesperson

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the U.S. rhetoric suggesting possible intervention in the situation in Iran, urging all parties to pursue diplomacy and dialogue in line with the principles of the UN Charter, his spokesperson said on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration is weighing "some very strong options," including potential military action against Iran amid the unrest across the Middle East country.

At a press briefing Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, conveyed Guterres' alarm over the remarks.

"The rhetoric that we've heard around the situation in Iran, which is concerning to him (Guterres), and he encourages all to adopt a path of diplomacy and dialogue," said Dujarric.

"We push for dialogue, and I think the [UN] Charter is very clear on your question," Dujarric said when asked whether foreign intervention might help resolve the crisis. The UN Charter enshrines core principles including the sovereign equality of all states, non-intervention in the affairs of other states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

These norms were further reinforced by the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law, adopted by the UN General Assembly, which explicitly states that no state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall in the national currency rial and long-standing economic hardships. The reported death toll from the unrest on both sides of the security forces and civilians is mounting.