MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Gaza Strip must return to the control of legitimate Palestinian authorities, and Israeli plans for temporary control over the enclave are unacceptable, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Sputnik.
He added that he opposes Israeli plans for the region.
«Gaza should be governed under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority and the legitimate Palestinian government. We strongly oppose Israeli plans that provide for some temporary solutions,» Abbas said.
The Palestinian Authority expresses its readiness to join the negotiations on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the president said.
«This can be achieved by working out a political solution, and not by force, as is happening in the framework of the current negotiations. At the same time, we support any efforts to cease fire, deliver humanitarian aid, return refugees to their homes, fully withdraw Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian authorities perform their functions in the enclave, as is the case in the West Bank,» Abbas said.
