Trump signals he may not support Palestinian Authority ruling Gaza after the war

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump indicates that he may not support the Palestinian Authority ruling Gaza after the war, in what would be a break from the previous administration and most of the international community.

Asked earlier in the Oval Office alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whether the PA can rule Gaza, Trump responds: “Well, it has had a pretty hard time, wouldn’t you say?”

“It’s had a pretty bad time of it,” he adds, without elaborating.

The PA currently has limited sovereignty in the West Bank and is seeking to return to Gaza, from which Hamas ousted it in 2007.

Israel has adamantly rejected any role for the PA in managing postwar Gaza.

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