A youth stands before a hole in what used to be a wall in a building that was hit during Israeli bombardment, while others search the rubble for survivors and the bodies of victims, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on November 8, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

The Egyptian government has reportedly rejected the United States’ proposal to temporarily take administrative control of the Gaza Strip, stressing that Cairo will never play a role in removing the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

The Wall Street Journal, citing senior Egyptian officials, reported on Wednesday that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has not accepted CIA Director William Burns’s proposal to manage security in Gaza until the Palestinian Authority (PA) is prepared to take over after the Israeli war in the besieged enclave ends.

The report said that Sisi has emphasized that Cairo will never play a role in eliminating Hamas, noting that his country needs the resistance group to help maintain the security of Egypt’s border with Gaza.

It came a day after Sisi and the visiting CIA chief held talks on a host of issues of mutual concern, particularly the Israeli military onslaught against Gaza.

Also on Wednesday, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi firmly rejected talks on possible scenarios after Israel’s war against Gaza.

Jordan rejects any talks or scenarios on the post-war Gaza, he said, adding that circulated scenarios are unrealistic and rejected, and Jordan will not engage with them.

Safadi went on to say that Jordan is against any talk about governing Gaza after the war by Arab or foreign forces.

He also argued that Hamas represents an ideology, which is not easily eradicated.

To bring about a change in the situation, addressing the needs and rights of the Palestinian people through a comprehensive peace agreement is essential, he stated.

Meanwhile, Ghazi Hamad, a senior member of Hamas political bureau, said on Wednesday that the resistance movement will continue to be the key player in the politics and the administration of the Gaza Strip.

He also noted that claims by US officials about the diminishing role of Hamas in Gaza are in fact a sign they have failed to defeat the group after more than a month of military action.

Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, into the occupied territories in response to the Israeli regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal strip into a humanitarian crisis.

According to the Gaza-based health ministry, at least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed in the strikes, most of them women and children, while nearly 26,475 others have been injured.