Photo/Illutration Mohammad Mustafa, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, during an interview at the prime minister’s office in Ramallah in the West Bank on June 30 (Jun Takaku)

RAMALLAH, West Bank--The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority indicated it would be desirable for the Hamas militant group to play a role in the administration of the Gaza Strip after the fighting with Israel ends.

“Gaza and the West Bank are Palestinian territories and will be governed by Palestine as a whole,” Mohammad Mustafa told The Asahi Shimbun here on June 30. “Hamas could be involved in the postwar governance of Gaza provided that Hamas joins the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which represents all Palestinians.”

Mustafa, an economist who previously worked at the World Bank, took office in March. It was his first exclusive interview with a Japanese media organization in that post.

Gaza is under Hamas’ effective control, while the Palestinian Authority governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched counterstrikes following Hamas’ surprise attack in October.

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, said he would form a “technocratic government” to lead reconstruction of Gaza.

He appointed Mustafa, well-connected with business leaders in Western and Arab nations, as prime minister and foreign minister to revamp the organization dogged by corruption allegations.

The international community’s confidence in Abbas remains low.

Mustafa is expected to oversee an “exit strategy” from the prolonged fighting in Gaza.

“We are here to help Palestinians overcome their challenging situation, regardless of political differences,” Mustafa said, referring to his Cabinet.

Mustafa said Hamas could be involved in the administration of Gaza on condition that it joins the PLO, which is internationally recognized as the representative of the Palestinian people.

The PLO is currently headed by Abbas.

An opinion poll published in June by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research shows that 46 percent of respondents in Gaza and 71 percent of respondents in the West Bank support Hamas’ control in postwar Gaza.

Israel and staunch ally the United States are expected to oppose Hamas’ engagement in the postwar administration of Gaza.

The United States is exploring the possibility of administration by the Palestinian Authority after the organization reforms itself.

U.S. President Joe Biden has called for a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority to administer both Gaza and the West Bank.

Mustafa said negotiations with Israel are necessary although he acknowledged that dialogue with the current administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is difficult.

“Netanyahu will not always lead the Israeli government,” he said. “The region needs peace, and negotiations with Israel are needed to achieve peace.”

Netanyahu has said Israel will not end its war in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated.

While denying any intention of resettling a post-conflict Gaza, Netanyahu has indicated that the Israeli military will be in charge of maintaining security there.

But he has not disclosed any concrete plan for administering the Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu is even opposed to the Palestinian Authority’s involvement in Gaza, citing its low governance capacity, among other factors.

Still, opinions are divided even within Netanyahu’s government.

The Palestinian Authority is working on a comprehensible peace plan concerning the functioning of the government, the administration of Gaza and the holding of elections.

Mustafa said the organization is proceeding with a reconstruction plan for the entire Palestine covering Gaza and the West Bank in collaboration with the United States and Arab nations.

The prime minister said he has been seeking increased pressure from the international community to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.

Mustafa said he appreciates Japan’s support and contributions to Palestine and called on Tokyo to recognize a Palestinian state.

“Such recognition is essential to salvaging the two-state solution and is a significant step toward achieving security and stability in the region,” he said.

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