Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah has visited Gaza for the first time in two years, in a potential first step to ending a decade-long conflict between the two major Palestinian factions.
Arriving in the impoverished enclave, Hamdallah said the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority would resume control of Gaza’s government in the coming days.
Hamdallah met with the leaders of rival political movement Hamas, 10 years after they violently forced his allies out of Gaza in a near civil war.
Advertisement
Washington gave a cautious welcome to the PA’s return to Gaza, while stressing that any new Palestinian government would have to renounce violence and recognise Israel.
Palestinian security surround the vehicle carrying Prime Minister Rami Hamadallah at the Beit Hanun border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Photo: EPA
“The United States welcomes efforts to create the conditions for the Palestinian Authority to fully assume its responsibilities in Gaza,” White House special envoy Jason Greenblatt wrote on his Facebook page.
