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Israel Says Ground Forces Raid Hamas Sites in Gaza, Withdraw

Satellite view shows Atatra, northern Gaza Strip, May 10, 2023. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS
Satellite view shows Atatra, northern Gaza Strip, May 10, 2023. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS
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Israel Says Ground Forces Raid Hamas Sites in Gaza, Withdraw

Satellite view shows Atatra, northern Gaza Strip, May 10, 2023. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS
Satellite view shows Atatra, northern Gaza Strip, May 10, 2023. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Israeli ground forces operated within the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, attacking multiple Hamas targets before withdrawing, the military said in a statement on what Israel's Army Radio described as the biggest incursion of the current war.
Video of the overnight action issued by the military showed armored vehicles proceeding through a sandy border zone. A bulldozer is seen levelling part of a raised bank, tanks fire shells, and explosions are seen near or amid a row of damaged buildings.
The military statement posted online said the incursion was carried out "in preparation for the next stages of combat", a possible reference to the large-scale invasion that Israeli leaders have threatened as part of the war to destroy Hamas.
"The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory," the military statement added, according to Reuters.
Israel began localized ground incursions on Sunday as the war, triggered by an Oct 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas gunmen, entered its third week. Israel's Army Radio described Thursday's incursion as the biggest yet.

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Hamas, Fatah Agree to Form Committee to Govern Gaza

A man hides behind a column as smoke and dust spread as a result of an explosion during an Israeli raid targeting a school in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City on September 1, 2024 (AFP)
A man hides behind a column as smoke and dust spread as a result of an explosion during an Israeli raid targeting a school in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City on September 1, 2024 (AFP)
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Hamas, Fatah Agree to Form Committee to Govern Gaza

A man hides behind a column as smoke and dust spread as a result of an explosion during an Israeli raid targeting a school in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City on September 1, 2024 (AFP)
A man hides behind a column as smoke and dust spread as a result of an explosion during an Israeli raid targeting a school in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City on September 1, 2024 (AFP)

A Palestinian source confirmed that Fatah and Hamas have agreed to form a body called the Social Support Committee to govern Gaza after the war. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the final agreement was reached during discussions in Cairo and will be presented to President Mahmoud Abbas for approval.

The two-page document describes the committee as the body responsible for managing Gaza under the authority of the Palestinian government in Ramallah. It outlines six key principles for its formation: preserving the unity of Palestinian territories within the 1967 borders (West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza), maintaining communication between the Palestinian government and the committee, adhering to the Palestinian political framework, preventing Gaza’s separation from other Palestinian territories, selecting independent and qualified Palestinian leaders, and coordinating with existing local authorities in Gaza.

The committee’s mandate will end when its purpose is fulfilled, general elections are held, or another agreed-upon framework is implemented, subject to national consensus and a decision by the Palestinian president.

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas turned to this committee as a way to counter regional and international efforts to marginalize them in post-war Gaza governance, according to the sources.

Under the agreement, the committee will report to the Palestinian Authority, overseeing humanitarian aid distribution, civil affairs, and Gaza’s reconstruction, including managing the Rafah border crossing. According to the document, the joint body will assume control of Rafah under the terms of the 2005 border agreement, which stipulated Palestinian Authority management of the crossing with international monitors and remote Israeli oversight. While the US and the EU support a return to this arrangement, Israel has so far opposed it, offering only a symbolic role for the Palestinian Authority at Rafah.

The agreement, mediated by Egypt, is part of a broader effort to secure a prisoner exchange deal, a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and an eventual Israeli withdrawal. Officials from both Hamas and Israel have expressed cautious optimism about a potential deal, though the details remain unclear.

Asharq Al-Awsat recently reported that Hamas is more open than ever to a phased agreement for Gaza, similar to the framework adopted in Lebanon. Sources indicated that Hamas is willing to accept a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including contentious areas such as Philadelphi and Netzarim. The group is also prepared to let the Palestinian Authority manage the Rafah crossing if it leads to its immediate reopening.

The agreement also proposes establishing an international fund for Gaza’s reconstruction and reactivating pre-war mechanisms for border crossings. However, it avoids addressing contentious issues such as security control, arms, and law enforcement in Gaza.