The article linked below reports that the Palestinian Authority is holding its first meeting since 2007 in Gaza.
Recall that in an election in Gaza seven years ago, the Palestinian people of Gaza very surprisingly and unexpectedly elected Hamas, which supports terrorism, as the government of Gaza, throwing out the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority, which does not support terrorism, had for years governed both of the Palestinian areas in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
But the people of Gaza elected Hamas, which supports terrorism.
Of course it was Hamas that did the recent missile attacks and tunnel-building that required the Israeli army to enter Gaza to destroy the missiles and tunnels and Hamas leadership, which killed thousands of both Hamas combatants and unavoidably regrettably non-Hamas non-combatant people, and destroyed a lot of the Gaza infrastructure like public buildings including schools, electric power, roads, water and wastewater systems. As the article explains, Hamas, while oddly “saying” it welcomes Palestinian Authority back for the meeting, still claims control of Gaza. The statements by Hamas in the article are peculiar after they have been so crushingly defeated by the Israeli army in military action.
Recall also that on our Israel trip last November, we visited the West Bank, which, though part of Israel, is mostly Palestinian people who have elected to be governed by the non-terrorist Palestinian Authority. In the West Bank we we were served a very nice lunch in a small Palestinian college. Of course we were aware of no hostility or conflict there- the place appeared as peaceful as the rest of Israel we visited. And the Palestinians of the West Bank did not participate in Hamas’ attacks on Israel from Gaza, but remained peaceful. (Even many Arab nations opposed Hamas’ attacks on Israel.) Bethlehem is in the West Bank, and Jerusalem is on the edge of the West Bank.
So this move toward resumption of non-terrorist Palestinian Authority presence and leadership in Gaza, very hopefully indicating movement back away from Hamas and terrorism, is very good news, especially for all of us who support Israel!
Most American denominations and churches have supported efforts against hunger and poverty in the Palestinian areas. We should continue to do so. But where support within Gaza is concerned, most of us will wait until we see more clear and solid evidence that the Gaza people have turned solidly against Hamas and terrorism.