Members of the new Palestinian unity government travelled from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip on today for their first Cabinet session in the war-battered territory a largely symbolic meeting meant to mark the end of absolute Hamas control of Gaza.
The gathering, set for midday today, comes three days ahead of an international pledging conference where Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will seek USD 4 billion for Gaza reconstruction following a 50-day war there this summer between Israel and Hamas.
By meeting in Gaza for the first time, the unity government of independent experts hopes to reassure donors that it can lead reconstruction efforts and that funds pledged for Gaza will not reach Hamas, shunned by the West as a terror group.
However, it remains unclear how much authority the unity government, which reports to Abbas, will have on the ground. The Islamic militant Hamas, which seized Gaza from Abbas in 2007, has said it will step aside, but has refused to disband its security forces.
The unity government was formed four months ago to replace rival governments in separate territories one led by Hamas in Gaza and the other headed by Abbas in autonomous areas of the West Bank.
However, the new government hasn't been operating in Gaza until now, both because of unresolved disputes between Abbas and Hamas and because of the recent summer war.
Ehab Bseiso, a government spokesman, said 12 Cabinet ministers left the West Bank today morning, en route to Gaza. The trip takes the ministers through Israel, including two Israeli-run crossings.
Israel initially refused to deal with the unity government because it is backed by Hams. Since the Gaza war, Israel has signaled readiness to work with the Palestinian Cabinet, particularly on Gaza reconstruction.
In Gaza, the ministers were to be joined by five colleagues who are based in the territory or arrived here earlier.
The group was to tour areas destroyed during the war before holding its Cabinet meeting at Abbas' former residence in Gaza.
In preparation for the meeting, a sign reading "Prime Minister's Office" was affixed to the entrance of the Abbas residence.
