Against the backdrop of the ceasefire deal, the hostage release, and the upcoming Trump peace summit in Egypt, a senior Hamas source told AFP on Sunday that the terror organization will not participate in governing Gaza after the war.
“For Hamas, governing the Gaza Strip is a closed matter. Hamas will not take part in the transitional phase, meaning that it has given up control of the Strip, but remains an integral part of Palestinian society,” the source told AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
International peace summit to be hosted in Egypt
The international peace conference, hosted by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, is set to convene on Monday. It is considered the most significant diplomatic initiative since the end of the Gaza fighting and aims to lay the groundwork for a new political framework in Gaza and the wider region.
Hamas, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority will not attend the summit, which is expected to bring together about 20 world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the leaders of Japan, India, Greece, Cyprus, Bahrain, Kuwait, Canada, and El Salvador. UN representatives are also expected to take part.
Trump’s current goal is to demilitarize Hamas, establish a new civilian administration in Gaza, and maintain the ceasefire under international supervision.
A draft document leaked two weeks ago outlined a plan for Gaza’s administration under former British prime minister Tony Blair, according to a Middle East Eye report. The proposal, titled the Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA), describes a hierarchical structure led by an international board of business leaders and billionaires, with Palestinian “neutral” managers at the local level selected through a rigorous vetting process.
The transitional administration is expected to cooperate closely with Israel, Egypt, and the United States, and according to Israeli sources quoted by Haaretz, the plan has received backing from the White House.