As a Trump-proposed ceasefire came into effect, followed by the end of the Israeli strikes and the return of displaced Palestinians to Gaza, Hamas and allied Palestinian factions reportedly said that any attempt to hand over the future of Gaza to foreign agents, as per the plan, would be resisted since it is an internal Palestinian matter, and they are calling an urgent national meeting over the same.
The declaration came as the truce took hold on Friday, with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reiterating that decisions regarding the administration of Gaza must be determined solely by Palestinians, Al Jazeera reported.
The factions are said to be preparing for a comprehensive national meeting aimed at formulating a unified Palestinian strategy, rebuilding political institutions on the principles of partnership and transparency, and consolidating a collective stance for the post-war phase. It remains unclear whether Fatah, the dominant faction within the Palestinian Authority, will participate in the discussions.
The groups also lauded the steadfastness of Palestinians, saying it thwarted what they described as Israel’s broader objective of mass displacement from the enclave. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Friday as Israeli forces withdrew from the coastal areas.
The Palestinian Civil Defence reported the retrieval of dozens of bodies from the streets of Gaza City, while thousands remain missing beneath the rubble of destroyed structures.
The ceasefire agreement, reportedly linked to a 20-point plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump, sets out the creation of a new international body, the “Board of Peace”, which would oversee an interim technocratic authority in Gaza.
The plan envisions Trump himself chairing the board, joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other international figures. However, Palestinian factions have firmly rejected any notion of external supervision.
According to terms obtained by Al Jazeera, Hamas is to release Israeli captives within seventy-two hours without a public ceremony, while at least six hundred aid trucks are to enter Gaza daily. The deal also provides for the rehabilitation of water facilities and the establishment of temporary shelters for displaced families.
The initial phase of the truce involves the entry of equipment to remove debris, marking the first step towards reconstruction. United Nations agencies and other humanitarian organisations will coordinate aid distribution, sidelining the controversial Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), criticised by rights groups after hundreds of Palestinians were killed while attempting to reach its centres.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Government Media Office has underlined the urgent need for a comprehensive reconstruction plan to restore the devastated enclave as humanitarian operations resume amid scenes of near-total destruction.