Fatah Official Condemns US-Led Peace Council

A senior Fatah official on Wednesday criticised the US-led Board of Peace as a ‘council of occupation’, accusing Washington and Israel of obstructing the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. ‘There is no Board of Peace at all. If there was a sincere will, particularly from the US, to strengthen the ceasefire, the second phase would have been completed. However, the occupation continues to hinder its implementation,’ Fatah spokesman Munther al-Hayek told the official Voice of Palestine radio station. Al-Hayek dismissed statements by Israeli officials regarding the possible return of Israeli settlements to Gaza as a mere fantasy. He also said Israel would not be able to lay a single stone in the enclave. He added that the Israeli military is building earth ramparts and trenches from the eastern part of the Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City and the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, extending into the central part of the enclave, reflecting Israel’s refusal to proceed to the second phase and its intention to maintain a military presence in Gaza. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday that the land barrier being constructed by the military has expanded the area under Israeli control to approximately 65 per cent of the Gaza Strip. The Board of Peace was officially launched by US President Donald Trump in late January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.