Abbas rejects Western push to restore PA rule over Gaza
Western governments sought to advance a United Nations Security Council resolution that would confer upon the Ramallah administration a mandate to rule Gaza.
By YASSER OKBI/ MAARIV HASHAVUAA Palestinian girl attends a rally organized by the Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza City(photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected an international effort to impose his government’s rule on the Gaza Strip, it was learned on Thursday.Western governments sought to advance a United Nations Security Council resolution that would confer upon the Ramallah administration a mandate to rule Gaza, which is currently in the hands of Abbas’ arch rival, Hamas.After they were presented with a draft of the resolution, the Palestinian Authority rejected the document out of hand.The existence of the draft was first discovered by Aaron Magid, a Middle East researcher who is currently completing his Master’s degree at Harvard University.The draft, which was formulated this past September immediately following the conclusion of Operation Protective Edge, stipulates that the Gaza Strip and its border crossings must be effectively returned to administrative rule of the PA, headed by Abbas.The resolution explicitly called for “effective and legitimate control of the Palestinian government over all the armed forces and weapons in Gaza.”
