‘We are ready’: Palestinian Authority seeks swift takeover of postwar Gaza

On visit in Norway, Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa says he opposes an interim government

Norway hosted talks on the Middle East conflict on Wednesday involving more than 80 countries and organisations pursuing a two-state peace settlement. Reuters

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The Palestinian Authority is ready to assume control of Gaza as soon as a "permanent ceasefire" is in place, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said on Wednesday as he urged countries to support its post-war return to power.

Mr Mustafa warned against the Gaza Strip being "left to a vacuum" as he addressed a meeting in Oslo of dozens of countries pursuing a two-state Middle East settlement. Host country Norway said a ceasefire alone was "not a solution" to the conflict as negotiators for Israel and Hamas edge towards a truce.

The US has called for an interim administration to run Gaza that would later hand over power to a "fully reformed" Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank but lost power in Gaza to Hamas in 2007. Mr Mustafa told the meeting of the Saudi-founded Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution that any attempt to create transitional bodies "will be rejected".

"While we’re waiting for the ceasefire, it’s important to stress that it will not be acceptable for any entity to govern the Gaza Strip but the legitimate Palestinian leadership and the government of the State of Palestine," Mr Mustafa said. He said Palestinian ministries would "resume full responsibility" for providing public services.

"Gaza, after all this pain, needs a responsible and capable government to heal the wounds of the Palestinian people, and to reintegrate Gaza with the rest of Palestine under one state, one government, one law and one system," he said.

"We should move quickly towards relief, recovery, reconstruction and peace. We are the government of Palestine, ready to hold our responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as we did before."

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa met Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on his first visit to Oslo since the Nordic country recognised the State of Palestine. AFP

Mr Mustafa urged countries to help pay for Gaza's reconstruction as he promised the Palestinian Authority would undertake reforms demanded by key countries. Its aims would include stabilising its finances, providing "quality services" such as water and education, and pursuing economic development, he said.

"These reforms aim to modernise our institutions, improve service delivery and create an environment conducive to growth and stability," he said. "We therefore call on members of this global alliance to actively support the Palestinian government."

Departing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech on Tuesday that the authority needs "swift and far-reaching" reforms. He said nobody should expect Israel to accept a Palestinian state if it stays unreformed and becomes a "failed state".

More than 80 countries and organisations were represented at the talks in Norway, which brokered the Oslo Accords in 1993 as a first step towards Palestinian self-government. Norway recognised the State of Palestine last May along with Ireland and Spain.

The alliance for a two-state solution held its first meeting in Riyadh last October, with guests including the US, which says recognition of Palestine is premature. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed Palestinian statehood.

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide warned the Middle East's divisions "will not be over" once a ceasefire kicks in. "There is no way to turn the clock back to October 6, 2023," the day before Hamas militants stormed into Israel, he said. "That was not a stable solution either.

"We need to recognise that it’s really the moment to deep-dive into what will happen next. Just a ceasefire can easily create a sense of vacuum, of unfulfilled hope, and the problems in Gaza will not be over."

The Palestinian Authority is asking countries to contribute to the cost of reconstruction in Gaza after 15 months of war. AFP

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said its aid workers will "stay and deliver" in Gaza despite an Israeli law seeking to block its work, which is due to take effect at the end of January. He said the aim is for UNRWA's workforce of teachers, doctors and nurses to eventually "form the backbone" of Palestinian-run public services.

Mr Mustafa said international recognition of Palestine was as "equally crucial" as ending the fighting in Gaza and lifting what he called the siege of the strip. "Such recognition is not only an affirmation of Palestinian sovereignty, it’s also an immediate investment in lasting peace," he said.