The "Hamas" group is ready to "fully transfer" its rule over the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, said Hazem Qassem, spokesman for the Palestinian Islamist movement. However, he insisted on the full and unhindered opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
"Concrete measures have been taken on the ground", Qassem told AFP journalists in the city of Deir al-Balah, in the central part of the enclave.
"We can now talk about the full readiness of all ministries, bodies and institutions, including in the security sector, to hand over all files to the National Management Committee for Gaza (NMGC)," the spokesman stressed. The NCC is a transitional technocratic administration established after the entry into force of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza.
"The protocols have been drawn up, the files have been completed, and the committees have been tasked with handing over authority, so that a full handover of the administration of the Gaza Strip to the National Committee in all areas of its work can be achieved, which we will ensure is successful," added Qassem.
For this purpose, however, the members of the Committee must be able to arrive in the enclave, Qassem stressed, calling for the opening of the Rafah border crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border "for free entry and exit from the strip in an effective manner and without obstacles from Israel."
Rafah is the only border crossing providing land access to the Gaza Strip without passing through Israel. It is crucial for both people and goods and humanitarian aid, AFP notes.
The crossing has been closed since Israeli forces took it over in May 2024. It was briefly reopened early last year following a brief truce in the war between Israel and "Hamas", which began with the group's attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.
Ali Shaat, the head of the UN Security Council, announced in Davos that Rafah would be open to traffic in both directions this week, but for now Israel has agreed to open the crossing only to pedestrians under full Israeli supervision, without committing to a specific date.