European Commission: Hamas Cannot Govern Gaza After the War

As the Israeli stance remains unchanged regarding the resumption of the war on the Gaza Strip following the end of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the President of the European Commission reiterated her position on this issue. Ursula von der Leyen stated, "There is absolutely no room for Hamas to return to Gaza or to be part of the governing authority managing the region." In an interview with Politico magazine on Wednesday, she emphasized that Gaza is part of the territory of the Palestinian state, and therefore only the Palestinian Authority should manage or govern it. Additionally, she expressed that "the Palestinians and Israelis have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find a political solution to their long-standing conflict," stressing that "the two-state solution now seems more likely than it did before the war." She said, "It is time to finalize negotiations on certain issues such as the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem."