GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The frequency of conflicting statements has increased between the Palestinian government and Hamas on control of the three crossings separating the Gaza Strip, Israel and Egypt. Each of the parties has accused the other of delaying the handover, one of the most important conditions for the unity government to take control of the besieged Gaza Strip, allow the entry of reconstruction materials and reopen the Rafah border crossing.
While Hamas has accused the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, of evading its responsibilities toward Gaza, the government responded that Hamas, which had controlled Gaza for seven years, refuses to hand over control of the crossings, asking for “a partnership.”
