Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US envoy Steve Witkoff in Jerusalem today that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) would not be part of post-war Gaza's governance "in any way".
"The Prime Minister clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be involved in administering the Strip in any way," Netanyahu's office said in a statement after the meeting ended.
Under US President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan that ended a two-year war in the Palestinian territory, the PA's post-war role in Gaza was left unclear.
The technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) was formed to handle day-to-day affairs until the PA completes a reform programme.
Mr Witkoff held talks with Mr Netanyahu today, during a visit that followed the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt. This was the second meeting between the two in less than a fortnight.
At the meeting, Netanyahu also "reiterated the uncompromising demand for the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, and the fulfilment of the war objectives prior to the reconstruction of the Strip," according to his office.
Israel has insisted that neither Hamas nor the PA should be involved in the governance of post-war Gaza.
On Monday, Netanyahu's office lamented that the logo of the NCAG contains a symbol of the PA, suggesting a link between the two.
"Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza," his office said in a statement.
The NCAG replied in a post on X on Tuesday, saying it "has been testing a range of visual concepts" and that logo designs may evolve, and added that its focus "is humanitarian relief, civilian administration, recovery, and a livable future for Gaza".
"That's the conversation that matters," it said.
The United States is expected to hold talks with Israel's arch-foe Iran later this week.
An Arab official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the meeting was likely to take place in Turkey on Friday, following diplomatic interventions by Ankara, as well as Egypt, Oman and Qatar.
Mr Witkoff's talks with Mr Netanyahu marked his second encounter with the Israeli prime minister in less than a fortnight. His previous visit took place days before the Rafah crossing was reopened.
Israeli media reported at the time that Mr Witkoff and fellow US envoy Jared Kushner had pressed for the reopening of the crossing.
Two jailed in Denmark for attack on Israeli embassy
Two young Swedes have sentenced to jail terms for throwing grenades at Israel's embassy in Denmark over a year ago.
A Copenhagen court condemned an 18-year-old to 12 years in prison and a 21-year-old to 14 years after finding them guilty of "terrorism" in the October 2024 incident.
"The two men threw the grenades with the intention of seriously frightening the Israeli and Danish populations - the attack therefore constitutes a terrorist act," police said in a statement.
The Copenhagen court also ruled that the two men, aged 16 and 18 at the time, acted in concert after prior agreement with one or more unidentified accomplices belonging to a criminal network in Sweden.
During the hearing, the youngest of the two, who is also being prosecuted in Sweden for shooting at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, admitted to being a member of the Foxtrot criminal network, which had recruited him during his secondary school years.
"The criminal network acted as the armed wing of a Middle Eastern terrorist organisation in Denmark, where the Israeli embassy had been designated as the target of the attack," prosecutor Soren Harbo said in the press release.
In the middle of the night on October 2, 2024, two grenades damaged the terrace of a house next to the diplomatic mission in the upscale Hellerup neighbourhood. No one was injured.
Police identified the DNA of the younger man on a grenade found in the building's garden.
The two were also convicted of attempted murder against the occupants of the house, but acquitted of endangering the lives and physical safety of the soldiers guarding the embassy. They will be expelled to Sweden after serving their time.
In May 2024, Swedish intelligence services claimed that Iran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to carry out "acts of violence" against Israel, a claim Tehran denied.
Israel army's Arabic-language spokesman being replaced
Israel's army will appoint its highest-ranking Muslim woman to replace chief Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee, the public face for Palestinians and Lebanese of its military campaigns, a military source has said.
Major Ella Waweya will replace Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, who for people in Gaza and Lebanon is indelibly linked with Israel's deadly bombing campaigns and known for what are seen as provocative uses of colloquial Arabic, koranic verses and humour in his messages.
Ms Waweya, 36, was born in Qalansawe, an Arab city in central Israel, and volunteered with the Israeli army at 24. As a deputy to Adraee, she was previously known online as "Captain Ella", the source said.
"As a child, she watched Arab media, and out of curiosity discovered the Israeli and Zionist narrative", the source said.
Around 20% of Israel's population are Palestinians or their descendants who remained in what is now Israel after its creation in 1948.
"She currently serves as the most senior Muslim female officer in the IDF (military)," the source said, adding Ms Waweya would soon be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Ms Adraee is known to the Arabic-speaking world through videos shared on military social media channels in which he gave details of ongoing Israeli military operations.
Many Lebanese have notifications activated for his social media posts, knowing that they often presage Israeli strikes.
His videos gained prominence after the start of the war in Gaza on 7 October, 2023, followed by the start of hostilities between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel.
During both wars, and still in Gaza, Ms Adraee issued official military evacuation warnings addressed to local populations ahead of Israeli air strikes in their areas.
Ms Adraee, who is Jewish, was born in the mixed Arab-Jewish Israeli city of Haifa, and was on occasion mocked by Arab world celebrities for his accent in Arabic.
