Sources to SadaNews: Israel Refuses to Grant the National Committee Access to Gaza

SadaNews Exclusive - Informed Palestinian sources revealed to "SadaNews" on Wednesday that Israel currently refuses to allow the National Committee for Gaza's administration to enter the sector via the Rafah border crossing, despite pressure from mediators and the Executive Committee of the Peace Council on Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

According to the sources, the committee was supposed to be allowed entry at the beginning of the crossing's opening, but as of now, it has not been permitted access, even though it could happen at any time this week or next.

The sources noted that Israel has not provided any justifications for its refusal to grant entry to the committee, indicating that significant efforts are being made by various parties to allow the committee into the sector to begin its work and assume its governmental responsibilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated two days ago that he rejects the committee's declared slogan, which refers to the same slogan of the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, the committee has stated that its visual identity is still under development.

Netanyahu reiterated his refusal for the Palestinian Authority to have any responsibility over the Gaza Strip.

Some members of the committee were supposed to arrive earlier to the sector to take on their responsibilities, particularly regarding the educational and health sectors, with the expectation that other members, including its head Ali Shaath, would be allowed to enter later.

A few days ago, Ghazi Hamad, a member of the political bureau of Hamas, said that his movement is waiting for the committee's arrival to take on its responsibilities, affirming that his movement is completely prepared for that.

A committee has been formed from Palestinian factions, community organizations, civil society activists, and UN bodies to oversee the coordination of the National Committee's assumptions of its tasks in the sector, anticipating the arrival of its members to start taking on their roles through that committee.

Informed sources told "SadaNews" on the 28th of last month that contacts were underway to arrange for a visit by some members of the technocrat committee to Gaza in preparation for taking on governmental responsibilities from the Hamas government.

The sources indicated that the focus will currently be on the health and educational sectors primarily, so that the officials responsible can assess the various material damages and identify the necessary resources to remedy them, with the aim of conveying reports regarding this to the Executive Council for Peace through the technocrat committee in preparation for the rehabilitation of the infrastructure of these sectors, regardless of the issue of disarming Hamas and Israel's linking of the reconstruction process to that.

They also noted that other efforts are being made regarding the possibility of supplying fuel for the Gaza power plant to operate partially in central areas of Gaza, especially Deir al-Balah, as it is one of the areas that has not been subjected to any aggression.

According to the sources, communications have not ceased between the technocrat committee and officials from intermediary countries, the United States, and the Executive Committee of the Peace Council, in order to find urgent solutions to these urgent issues related to the realities of education and health, and what can serve the infrastructure in general.

Israel is placing many obstacles to the work of the committee that seeks to assume its tasks.

For its part, Hamas is preparing for such an operation, having already begun holding internal governmental meetings and is starting to inventory its undamaged properties to hand over to the committee.

Hamas has circulated clear instructions to its government employees for a seamless and swift transition of governmental responsibilities to the committee.

The security file is considered one of the most complicated files that the technocrat committee will face, as it is managed by retired general from the Palestinian intelligence service, Sami Nisman, against whom Hamas had previously issued a default judgment years ago after it took control of the sector, citing his responsibility for what it described as "subversive activities" at that time.

It remains unclear how Hamas will deal with this file, alongside the issue of its affiliated employees, given the lack of clarity on whether they will be fully or partially absorbed.