Mahmoud Abbas is pressuring Hamas to cede control of the Gaza Strip to his Palestinian Authority in a high-stakes gambit to convince the US he can strike a deal with Israel on behalf of the Palestinian people, according to Palestinian officials.
The move comes ahead of a meeting this week with US President Donald Trump in Washington, as Mr Abbas seeks to convince the White House he controls the West Bank and Gaza, the two territories that would make up a negotiated future Palestinian state.
In recent weeks, Mr Abbas, 82, has financially squeezed Gaza by slashing wages of teachers, doctors and other workers and refusing to reduce a tax on fuel used by its power plant. The PA also has told Israel it would stop paying for electricity supplied by Israeli plants to Gaza, Israeli authorities said.
Now Mr Abbas is threatening to make cuts to education and healthcare unless Hamas immediately relinquishes power to the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in a step towards participation in any future parliamentary elections, according to Tayeb Abdul Rahim, an aide to Mr Abbas. The PA wants to return to the administration of all offices in Gaza and eventually reinstate its security forces there. Elections could see Hamas parliamentarians join in governing with the PA. “Time has come for Hamas to hand over the Gaza Strip to the legitimate Palestinian Authority,” said Mr Rahim.
Read the full article by Rory Jones of The Wall Street Journal, at The Australian (subscription only).