Officials: The United States Approves the Establishment of an Official Communication Channel Between the Palestinian Authority and the Peace Council

Translation by SadaNews - The United States has agreed to establish a coordination committee between the Palestinian Authority and the Peace Council affiliated with President Donald Trump, according to an American official and a Palestinian official who spoke to the Times of Israel on Wednesday.

The committee will work to formalize the relations between the Palestinian Authority and the Peace Council, which oversees the reconstruction of Gaza after the war. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa represents Ramallah on the committee, while the High Representative for Gaza, Nikolai Mladenov, represents the Peace Council, according to the two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The establishment of this committee is seen as a compromise for the Palestinian Authority, which has sought to gain membership in the Peace Council, especially in light of Israel’s representation in the body that includes global leaders and is chaired by Trump.

The Palestinian official stated that Ramallah hopes the new committee will be officially announced before the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council on Thursday in Washington, adding that the Palestinian Authority will continue to seek representation in the Peace Council or in its advisory executive council for Gaza, according to SadaNews translation.

The Palestinian official attributed Washington's approval to create the coordination committee to pressures exerted by Arab countries that are members of the Peace Council.

The Palestinian Authority has already reached out to Mladenov and other members of the executive council for Gaza affiliated with the Peace Council, thus the practical significance of the new committee is limited. However, the Palestinian Authority seeks to gain leverage in the decision-making process related to the reconstruction of Gaza, as Ramallah's assistance will be essential for the success of the process.

While a separate committee of Palestinian technocrats has been tasked with replacing Hamas in governing Gaza, that committee is likely to have to rely on civil service staff and police forces currently paid by the Palestinian Authority.

Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority possesses land registration documents in Gaza, which will be needed to compensate property owners if their lands are used in the reconstruction projects pushed by the Peace Council.

The Palestinian official clarified that the Palestinian Authority is eager to assist the Peace Council as well as the technocratic committee dubbed the National Committee for Gaza Management (NCAG). However, Ramallah desires to have an official role in the process to ensure that the initiative ultimately leads to the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under a single political entity, believing that official relations with the Peace Council will enhance this goal, according to SadaNews translation.

Israel and the United States, which controls the Peace Council, have opposed granting the Palestinian Authority a more prominent role in Gaza, arguing that Ramallah needs to implement substantial reforms first.

Israel harshly criticized last month after the National Committee for Gaza Management updated its logo to be almost identical to that of the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority insists that it is engaged in comprehensive reforms, including scheduling elections and abolishing its social welfare program, which critics have described as a "pay-for-slay" program as it has provided allowances to security prisoners based on the length of their sentences.

However, Ramallah claims that its efforts to improve efficiency are severely hindered by Israel's withholding of more than $4 billion in Palestinian tax revenues, in violation of the Oslo agreements.

The withholding of these funds, which represent the majority of the Palestinian Authority's revenues, has prevented Ramallah from fully paying public sector employees' salaries over the past year, pushing the Palestinian Authority closer to the brink of collapse.

While Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has not been invited to the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council on Thursday, the General Commissioner of the National Committee for Gaza Management, Ali Shaath, is scheduled to attend, according to the American official.

When asked for a comment, the U.S. State Department did not deny that Washington had given the green light for the new communication channel between the Palestinian Authority and the Peace Council, according to SadaNews translation.

A statement attributed to a Trump administration official to the Times of Israel said: "The Peace Council is moving forward with implementing all twenty points of President Trump's plan, which speaks for itself. We will not comment on diplomatic conversations."