The man who could unlock Gaza

Several Palestinian factions are due to meet in Egypt on Saturday to discuss the future governance of Gaza, as the prospect of a significantly expanded role for Mohammed Dahlan, a longtime rival of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, gains renewed momentum.

The talks, initially scheduled for Wednesday in the Egyptian resort of El-Alamein before being postponed, will be followed Sunday by a meeting with representatives of the ceasefire mediator countries and Nikolai Mladenov, Donald Trump's senior representative for Gaza on his newly created "Peace Council."

At the heart of the discussions is a plan reportedly presented by Dahlan to persuade Hamas to transfer administrative responsibilities in Gaza to him, paving the way for a technocratic committee, already appointed, to take over the territory's temporary administration.

The move would help bridge a diplomatic impasse: Israel refuses to allow Hamas to retain control of Gaza but equally rejects a direct return of the Palestinian Authority, while Hamas insists on a Palestinian administration before considering any disarmament.

Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief expelled from Fatah in 2011 and now based in the UAE, retains significant influence across Arab capitals and is seen by some as uniquely positioned to unlock the post-war governance question.

But the scenario remains deeply contentious among Palestinians, many of whom view it as an attempt by foreign powers to impose an alternative leadership on the territory.