With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to meet President Trump on Monday, a fresh wave of proposals is emerging to chart a course for ending the Gaza conflict and establishing governance for the territory. A central, pressing question among these discussions is the potential involvement of the Palestinian Authority.
Currently, the Authority manages civic affairs in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and sees itself as the legitimate governing body for any future independent Palestinian state.
Here’s what you need to know about the Palestinian Authority:
- What is the Palestinian Authority?
- Who is Mahmoud Abbas?
- What does recognizing a Palestinian state truly signify?
- What potential role could the Palestinian Authority assume in a post-war Gaza?
- What is the Palestinian Authority’s current relationship with Hamas?
What is the Palestinian Authority?
Founded in 1994 through the Oslo Accords—a landmark series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization—the Palestinian Authority was envisioned as an interim government. The long-term hope was that it would pave the way for an independent Palestinian state.
Today, it governs Palestinian population centers in the West Bank and collaborates with Israel on security matters, though their relationship is frequently strained.
Just last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the U.N. General Assembly via video, using the platform to accuse Israel of “war crimes” in Gaza. His virtual presence was a result of the Trump administration denying him and his delegation entry visas to New York, citing national security concerns.
Who is Mahmoud Abbas?
Mahmoud Abbas, now 89, has held the presidency of the Palestinian Authority since 2005. Despite being initially elected for a four-year term, national elections in Palestine haven’t occurred since 2006.
Under Abbas’s long tenure, his administration has faced accusations of corruption and authoritarianism. Recent surveys indicate a widespread desire among Palestinians for his resignation.
Israeli officials have consistently criticized the Authority for alleged mismanagement and for fostering anti-Israel sentiment. Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his recent U.N. address, bluntly stated, “The Palestinian Authority is corrupt to the core.”
Conversely, proponents of the Palestinian Authority argue that its struggles with corruption are no worse than those of other Arab governments, and that the ongoing Israeli occupation significantly impedes its effectiveness and ability to govern.
What does recognizing a Palestinian state truly signify?
Recently, several countries, including traditionally strong Israeli allies like France, Britain, and Canada, have formally recognized Palestinian statehood. This brings the total number of nations that have recognized or are expected to soon recognize a Palestinian state to nearly 150.
Though largely a symbolic gesture affirming the Palestinian right to self-determination, this wave of recognition has further isolated Israel. Both Israel and its American allies view the recognition of Palestinian statehood as an unacceptable reward for Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza and initiated the 2023 attack on Israel, sparking the current conflict.
It’s important to note that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are long-standing rivals, each vying for leadership among the Palestinian people.
In response to these international endorsements, Israeli officials have hinted at potentially annexing portions of the occupied West Bank. However, former President Trump recently stated his opposition to such a move.
What potential role could the Palestinian Authority assume in a post-war Gaza?
Efforts to end the Gaza war remain fraught with significant hurdles. Israel and Hamas continue to clash on key issues, and Israel recently intensified its military campaign with a ground offensive to seize control of Gaza City.
President Abbas has consistently asserted that Gaza is an indispensable component of any future Palestinian state. Last week, he affirmed his government’s readiness to assume responsibility for the enclave, vowing that Hamas would have no governing role once the conflict concludes.
Among the various new plans circulating for a Gaza ceasefire and its subsequent governance, one specific proposal suggests a limited role for the Palestinian Authority. However, acknowledging criticisms of the Authority’s alleged corruption, this plan mandates substantial reforms, particularly concerning its security operations.
Another notable suggestion, the “New York declaration,” outlines a post-war Gaza governed by a transitional committee. This committee would operate under the Palestinian Authority’s oversight and commit to holding elections within a year of a ceasefire.
As of Sunday, Hamas reported that it had not received any new proposals from mediators, indicating that ceasefire negotiations for Gaza remain stalled.
What is the Palestinian Authority’s current relationship with Hamas?
A profound and enduring rivalry has historically separated the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
This schism deepened in 2006 when Hamas achieved a narrow victory over President Abbas’s Fatah movement in Palestinian legislative elections. The subsequent year saw Hamas violently expel the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority from the Gaza Strip, consolidating its full control over the territory.
Despite numerous attempts at reconciliation, efforts to unite the two factions have consistently failed.
Mr. Abbas has publicly condemned the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. He maintains that Palestinians aspire to a modern state and a peaceful transfer of power, emphasizing that an armed Hamas has no place in this vision and urging the group to disarm.
However, Hamas has categorically rejected Abbas’s stance on its exclusion from a post-war Gaza government, asserting that such a position constitutes “an infringement on our Palestinian people’s inherent right to self-determination.” Hamas further declared that it would not surrender its weapons “as long as the occupation continues.”
Reporting contributed by Ephrat Livni.