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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/11/02/gaza-fatah-hamas-technocratic-committee/
Palestinian Talks on Gaza's Future Could See Hamas Help Shape Its Rule
(Washington Post) Gerry Shih - Palestinian political factions are holding closed-door discussions that could see Hamas play a role in shaping a postwar administration in Gaza. The eight Palestinian factions and armed groups involved - including Fatah, which leads the Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank, and Hamas - are working to reach a consensus over key elements of an interim administration. To avoid a protracted postwar insurgency, Hamas must be included in any political settlement, say Palestinian political factions and mediators from Arab countries. A pivotal question is whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu or President Trump would object to a Gazan government born out of talks between Hamas and Fatah. For Israel, nearly every aspect of the inter-Palestinian talks is unpalatable. "The fear for Israel is that Hamas will open the gates of Gaza and say to the PA, 'You're the boss here. Just bring money to Gaza and you can declare yourself the minister of agriculture or education. Just don't touch weapons, and we'll be the dominant player,'" said Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence analyst. Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, said, "There is a risk that the end state that emerges will be what we wanted to avoid....Hamas is battered and bruised but hanging on to power, preparing for the next round."