Palestinian unity government takes official control of region

World Today

Palestinian unity government takes official control of region

The Palestinian unity government has officially taken control of Gaza, as part of a landmark reconciliation deal.

The handover process came after Hamas and Fatah resolved remaining stumbling blocks, ending a decade long split.

CGTN’s Noor Harazeen has more.

The Palestinian unity government has assumed responsibilities in the Gaza Strip. The transfer of the government roles came after Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas finalized arrangements to facilitate the final transfer of power in the coastal territory.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with Hamas leaders in Gaza last week. Hamdallah vowed at a press conference that his government has plans to resolve major problems in Gaza.

“The government has conducted a comprehensive survey of the former employees and instructed its minister and the directors of its associations to return the former employees to their posts according to the need and the interest of the government work,” Rami Hamdallah the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister said.

Fatah and Hamas had previously traded accusations about a lack of commitment to the October reconciliation deal, delaying Gaza’s final handover by 10 days. Under the agreement, Hamas should have handed over all governing duties to the Palestinian Authority at the beginning of December.

In the end, observers say the rival factions worked out their differences.

In a statement published over the weekend, Hamas demanded the unity government fully carry out its obligations toward Gaza, lift the sanctions imposed on its people, and devote more time to oppose the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.