'Hamas will have no role', vows the candidate to govern Gaza on the day after

Palestinian businessman Samir Hulileh, who recently revealed there are contacts regarding his possible appointment to oversee the administration of the Gaza Strip, spoke with Radio Makan on Tuesday about behind-the-scenes discussions on post-war plans and the disarmament of Hamas.

“There are still ongoing talks that are not yet final. Right now, we are facing the need to reach a ceasefire agreement – that is the most important thing at the moment – as well as the release of prisoners and detainees. All of these are issues connected to the ceasefire. Afterwards will come the details concerning the day after and the administration of Gaza,” Hulileh said.

He noted that many parties are involved in the question of "the day after" the war in Gaza. “Some are funding the reconstruction of the Strip, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and others. Some control the border crossings, some are connected to weapons and the Hamas issue, and some to the question of the Palestinian Authority’s legitimacy in Gaza.”

“I am not a party to the negotiations. I am a person who is supposed to be appointed once an agreement is reached between all sides,” explained Hulileh, who insisted he has no ties to Hamas. “So far, there is no final agreement, and currently, the United States is trying to negotiate with Hamas. It is clear that Hamas will have no role in Gaza the day after the war.”

According to him, Israel is not part of the discussions and talks in the initial stage. “We will wait for the end of the war to know the position of the parties, including Israel. As I understand it, there will be no Hamas forces – the idea is to turn Hamas into a political party, and the decision on the weapons issue will be made by the parties conducting the negotiations.”

“The current proposal under discussion is to deploy an Arab security force to oversee law and order in the Strip under American supervision, which would withdraw after strengthening the Palestinian police forces,” Hulileh said, expressing hope that the war would end within two to three weeks at most.

“This initiative is not a private one, but is constantly being discussed with the White House and President Trump personally, and therefore I see it as a serious strategy aimed at finding a way to govern the Strip after the war.”

The Office of the Palestinian Authority Presidency condemned the statements Hulileh made in his interview with Radio Makan, demanding that he “stop spreading lies.”

It further stated, “The administration of the Strip is solely under the authority of the Palestinian Authority, and Halileh’s statements are an attempt to bypass the position opposing any separation between Gaza and the West Bank.”

A Fatah spokesperson, Jamal Nazzal, responded to Hulileh's remarks in an interview with Al Arabiya TV, saying that “the attempt to appoint Palestinian businessman Samir Halileh is being carried out by external actors, and we demand that he withdraw the proposal.”

According to Nazzal, “Fatah will not allow the separation of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority’s territories by granting areas to governors.”