CAIRO, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Delegations from the Fatah movement of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Hamas armed movement have agreed on a draft document to form a joint committee to run the post-war Gaza Strip, said an Egyptian source on Tuesday.
The two-page document states that the committee managing Gaza matters in fields including education, health, economy, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction will consist of 10 to 15 independent Palestinian figures known for their "competence, integrity, experience, and transparency," a well-informed Egyptian source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The source added that the committee will be supervised by the PA.
Agreement on the draft document, which is yet to be approved by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was reached after recent talks between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo that started on Saturday.
"The committee shall be subject to the Palestinian political system in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, and its formation shall not lead to the separation of Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian territories," says one of the committee formation principles, the source told Xinhua.
Another principle states that the committee will continue operating in Gaza until the reasons that led to its formation are gone or until general elections are held or any other nationally agreed-upon formula is endorsed, and this will be determined by national consensus and by a decree of the Palestinian president, the source added.
Formerly ruled by Fatah, Gaza has been under Hamas control since 2007. Israel has repeatedly expressed rejection of any future rule of Hamas in Gaza.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, 44,502 Palestinians have been killed and 105,454 others injured, according to an update released by Gaza's health authorities on Tuesday.
The Israeli escalation followed a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israeli towns, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 200 others taken hostage, according to Israeli reports. ■
