Ismail Haniyeh, the top leader of Hamas, branded a terrorist, is open to allowing Gaza and the West Bank to be ruled by one and the same government.
The question of how Gaza should be governed after the war has been repeatedly raised after the Hamas terrorist attack in early October.
– We have received many proposals about the internal situation and we are open to the idea of a national government for the West Bank and Gaza, Haniyeh says in an appearance on the Qatar-based television channel Al Jazeera.
The two Palestinian territories have been ruled by separate movements since Hamas seized power in Gaza by force in 2007, after the movement prevailed against Fatah in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections.
The extremist and Islamist Hamas has since controlled Gaza, while the secular Fatah rules over the West Bank through the Palestinian Authority led by Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas.
There have been several attempts at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, while Abbas’ popularity among the Palestinians has declined.
The United States has been pushing for Palestinians to be included in future governance of Gaza, but it has been unclear what role it believes the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority should play in this.