RAFAH, August 18, 2025 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said that the ongoing Israeli aggression should not give any local or international party the legitimacy to impose arbitrary arrangements on the Gaza Strip.
In a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati at the Rafah border crossing on the Egyptian side on Monday, the Prime Minister reiterated that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the sole legitimate representative of our people, and that the government is the only executive body authorized to administer the affairs of Gaza, as it is in the West Bank.
He stressed that the government of the State of Palestine is ready and capable of shouldering its responsibilities towards our people in the Gaza Strip, despite the magnitude of the challenges, in cooperation with all our brothers and friends, in partnership with the private sector, civil society, and international institutions, and within our national strategy.
The Prime Minister said, "We will soon announce a committee to administer the affairs of the Gaza Strip. This committee is a temporary committee whose authority is vested in the Palestinian government. It is not a new political entity, but rather a reactivation of the work of the institutions of the State of Palestine and its government in Gaza, according to the basic law and as stipulated in the resolutions of the Arab Summit and international bodies."
He added: "We will defeat any attempts to obstruct the national will and the Arab and international consensus on the unity of Palestinian national institutions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state across all Palestinian territories."
He emphasized that President Mahmoud Abbas is leading political and diplomatic efforts, with the support of brotherly and friendly countries and international organizations, to halt the aggression, prevent displacement, and unify the two parts of the homeland within the framework of the institutions of the independent State of Palestine and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The Prime Minister said: "We will continue our commitment and responsibilities, as we have known since the establishment of the Authority, to provide services to our people in the Gaza Strip, including education, health, water, electricity, and other services, with the participation of tens of thousands of our employees in the Strip."
He affirmed the continuation of work with our brothers in Egypt to prepare for holding the reconstruction conference in Cairo as soon as possible, to rebuild the Gaza Strip in partnership with our brothers and friends, based on the Arab plan for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, adopted by Arab and international organizations.
He stressed that the Rafah crossing must be a gateway to life, not a tool for Israel's siege of our people. He added that Israel's continued closure and prevention of thousands of aid trucks from entering the Gaza Strip is the greatest message to the world that Israel is starving the Palestinian people, paving the way for their displacement and preventing the establishment of a unified and independent state.
The Prime Minister praised the principled and steadfast stance of sisterly Egypt, represented by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which has stood as an impregnable barrier against displacement schemes, despite the enormous pressures targeting it. He also praised Egypt's historic support for Palestinian rights, its solid political and national vision for our just cause, and its ongoing efforts to end the war, lift the siege, prevent displacement, achieve reconstruction, and ensure the unity of Palestine and its national institutions under the leadership of the legitimate government, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The Prime Minister called for more effective international action to compel Israel to immediately resume the entry of aid shipments and stop using starvation as a weapon against civilians.
Mustafa's speech is as follows:
"Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although we stand here today, near the ruins of Rafah, our hearts remain with our people inside the Gaza Strip. We will never despair, tire, or falter in doing everything possible to stop this unjust war against our people and to restore a dignified life to our beloved Gaza. What is happening in Gaza tears at our hearts, but we remain steadfast in our commitment.
The scale of suffering endured by our people over the past twenty-three months is unprecedented in modern history. From the very first day, President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Government made our position crystal clear: this war must end. The continued daily suffering of our people—searching for food, water, and medicine, and enduring relentless displacement—is a disgrace to humanity and an affront to the conscience of the world.
This border crossing must be a gateway to life, not a tool of Israel’s siege. Yet Israel continues to block thousands of aid trucks lined up here, starving over two million people in full view of the world, and in defiance its shared humanity. This is unconscionable.
This crossing, sealed today by Israeli occupation’s tanks, has for centuries carried the footsteps of Palestinians throughout history. Its closure—even to humanitarian aid—sends the clearest message: Israel is deliberately starving our people to pave the way for displacement and to deny them their right to a unified, independent state. This must be confronted by all.
Standing on Egyptian soil, we once again commend the principled and steadfast position of Egypt, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt has stood firmly against forced displacement despite enormous pressures. We also salute the great Egyptian people, leadership, government, for their historical in favor of the Palestinian people and their legitimate cause.
We highly value Egypt’s historical alignment with the Palestinian right, its steadfast political and national vision towards the Palestinian cause, its persistent efforts to end the war, lift the siege, prevent displacement, enable reconstruction, and ensure the unity of Palestine and its national institutions under the legitimate leadership of our people, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization.
We also extend our appreciation to all brotherly and friendly states and international organizations providing humanitarian assistance to our people in Gaza, and to all those working to stop the aggression and defend our inalienable rights.
Yet, despite the advanced positions taken by the majority of world countries regarding what is happening in Gaza, our people still need action—an effective international response that compels Israel to allow aid convoys in immediately and end the weaponization of starvation against civilians—children, women, and the elderly—who are exhausted by war, hunger, and life in tents.
Brothers and Sisters,
To our beloved people in Gaza:
We will not rest until we restore to you a dignified life and reunite Gaza with the West Bank on the path to realizing our independent state. We seek to achieve this hand in hand with all the faithful among our people and our nation.
This is no time for grief or blame. Our people in Gaza need every sincere and serious effort to lift the injustice, stop the aggression, rebuild the Strip, and provide them with the means of a dignified life in their homeland.
We will continue to uphold our responsibilities, as we have since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, to provide services to our people in Gaza—education, health, water, electricity, and more—through the tens of thousands of our employees in Gaza, of whom we are proud for their steadfastness and continued service to their people under these extremely difficult conditions.
Even in the midst of war, we established the Government Operations Room for the Southern Governorates (Gaza Strip), bringing together more than 40 governmental, humanitarian, local, and international entities to coordinate relief efforts in Gaza with our local and international partners. During the last truce, we set up temporary shelters and began clearing rubble from vital facilities—before the occupation destroyed them all again. Nevertheless, we are preparing to intensify relief efforts as soon as conditions allow.
We are also working with our brothers in Egypt to prepare for convening the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in Cairo at the earliest possible date, in order to rebuild Gaza in partnership with our brothers and friends, based on the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza that has been endorsed regionally and internationally. During my meeting yesterday with the Prime Minister of Egypt, our friend Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, we reviewed the executive plans we have recently developed, which will be presented at the conference once it convenes.
On the political level, since the first day of this aggression, President Mahmoud Abbas has been leading the Palestinian political and diplomatic efforts, supported by brotherly and friendly states and international organizations, to end the aggression, prevent displacement, reunify Gaza and the West Bank, under the independent State of Palestine and the PLO and their institutions.
Gaza is an integral part of the internationally-recognized State of Palestine, with the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and the Palestinian Government as the only executive authority mandated to administer the affairs of Gaza, as is the case in the West Bank.
Our government—the Government of the State of Palestine—is ready and capable of shouldering its responsibilities toward our people in Gaza, despite the immense challenges. We will do so in cooperation with our brothers and friends, and in partnership with the private sector, civil society, and willing international institutions, all within our national strategy.
Governance arrangements for Gaza after the war must strengthen internal unity and reflect both the Arab consensus—embodied in the Arab Summit—and the international consensus—expressed in the communiqué of the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held recently in New York under the leadership of Saudi Arabia and France, with the participation of 128 states and international institutions.
With regard to the Committee for Administering the Affairs of Gaza, which we will announce soon, it will be temporary and will be accountable to the Palestinian Government.
We are not creating a new political entity in Gaza. Rather, we are reactivating the institutions of the State of Palestine and its government in Gaza, in accordance with our Basic Law and as stipulated by resolutions of the Arab Summit and international bodies.
Let me be clear: administering Gaza in the coming period, after this aggression is brought to an end, is neither a prize nor an opportunity for gain, nor a quest for authority or power. It is a great responsibility and a historic trust to thwart displacement schemes, reinforce and strengthen the steadfastness of our people, unify their national institutions, and build their independent state.
The Palestinian cause as a whole is under attack today more than ever. Therefore, Israel’s ongoing aggression must not grant any party, local or international, legitimacy to impose external arrangements on Gaza. Gaza is an inseparable part of our homeland. We will defeat any attempt to obstruct the national will or undermine the Arab and international consensus on the unity of Palestinian national institutions in both the West Bank and Gaza, and on the realization of the independent State of Palestine across all Palestinian Territory.
Thank you."
K.T
