Middle East latest: Palestinian prime minister says Palestinian Authority should run Gaza in future

The Palestinian prime minister says it “will not be acceptable” for any entity other than the Palestinian Authority to run the Gaza Strip in the future.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa made the comments on Wednesday as he visited Norway, one of three European countries that formally recognized a Palestinian state in May.

Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007, confining the Western-backed Palestinian Authority’s limited self-rule to parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The U.S. has called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern both the West Bank and Gaza ahead of eventual statehood, which the Israeli government opposes.

“While we’re waiting for the ceasefire, it’s important to stress that it will not be acceptable for any entity to govern Gaza Strip but the legitimate Palestinian leadership and the government of the State of Palestine,” Mustafa said.

He added that “any attempt to consolidate the separation between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, or creating transitional entities, will be rejected.”

Mustafa said that “we should not leave Gaza to vacuum … We are the government of Palestine, ready to hold our responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as we did before.”

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