BICOM

A Jordanian report has suggested that Israel and Hamas are in talks regarding the possible establishment of a commercial floating seaport off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

The ad-Dustour daily quotes unnamed Western diplomatic sources saying that meetings between the two sides have taken place in Israel and European capitals. The establishment of a Gaza port was one of Hamas’s demands in ceasefire talks during Operation Protective Edge last summer. Apparently, the floating port would receive goods from Cyprus destined for Gaza, subject to Israeli and international inspections.

However, according to the Times of Israel, an Israeli official denied “any negotiations with Hamas.” At the same time, Osama al-Qawasme, a spokesman for the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas criticised Hamas for the secret talks, which he said would only benefit Israel.

Earlier this month, Haaretz analyst Amos Harel reported that intermittent talks between Israel and Hamas have been taking place for several months via a variety of intermediaries, with a view to brokering a long-term ceasefire. Similarly, last month Times of Israel analyst Avi Issacharoff said that Qatar’s ambassador to the Gaza Strip had visited Israel to discuss a potential five-year cessation of hostilities and the creation of a floating harbour off the Gaza coast to facilitate imports which would be monitored by NATO.

During 2015, Israel has introduced a range of measures meant to ease movement in and out of the Gaza Strip, in order to aid reconstruction. The amount of water Israel supplies to Gaza was doubled after a coastal aquifer had become ineffective. Israel also increased the number of entry and exit permits to Gaza merchants and has also facilitated the export of significant Gaza produce to the West Bank, an important market for the Gaza economy.

However, reconstruction in Gaza since Operation Protective Edge has been hampered by a paucity of promised international funds. Meanwhile, European diplomats have also criticised political squabbling between Fatah and Hamas for the lack of progress.