Hamas hands over control of Gaza Strip borders

RAFAH: Hamas handed over control of the Gaza Strip’s borders with Egypt and Israel to the Palestinian Authority yesterday, in the first key test of a landmark Palestinian reconciliation accord agreed last month.

Nazmi Muhanna, the Palestinian Authority’s top official for border crossings, formally received control of the crossing here with Egypt from his Hamas counterpart in a ceremony yesterday.

At a separate checkpoint with Israel, Hamas installations have been dismantled. Palestinian Authority and Hamas officials were there overseeing the handover.

At the crossing here, Palestinian and Egyptian flags were flying, with large pictures of Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Mufeed al-Husayna, a Palestinian Authority minister, said all border crossings were being handed over.

“We began today (yesterday), under the directive of the prime minister (Rami Hamdallah), to exercise our duties by receiving all the crossings,” he said, thanking the Egyptians for mediating the deal.

“There is no yellow and green. All our Palestinian people are under the Palestinian flag,” he said, referring to the flag colours of the political parties that signed last month’s reconciliation deal.

He said Hamdallah was due to visit Gaza again in the coming days.

Hisham Adwan, director of information at the Hamas crossings authority, said Palestinian Authority employees would take full control of the borders.

Under the Egyptian-brokered deal, the Palestinian Authority is due to take full control of Gaza by Dec 1.

The checkpoints had been due to be handed over yesterday, and were seen as a first key test of the strength of the reconciliation agreement.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007 when it seized control in a near civil war with Abbas’s Fatah, based in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade, citing the need to control Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since 2008. Egypt has largely closed its border as well.

The crossing here was not open yesterday despite the official handover, though Hamas is hoping it will be in the coming days or weeks. AFP