GAZA STRIP (Dispatches) -- Hamas has warned that Tony Blair would not be welcome in any role in governing Gaza following the commencement of a ceasefire in the enclave.
Speaking to Sky News, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said there could be no role for the former British prime minister in the governance of Gaza, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s previously announced support for Blair’s involvement.
“When it comes to Tony Blair, unfortunately, we Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims, and maybe others around the world have bad memories of him,” Naim said.
“We can still remember his role in killing, causing thousands or millions of deaths to innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
As official envoy for the Middle East Quartet (U.S., Russia, European Union and UN) between 2007 and 2015, Blair was also previously tasked with attempting to bring about a solution to the Palestine state question, something he was unable to achieve.
Last month, various media outlets reported that Blair was in discussions to lead a transitional authority in the Gaza Strip as part of a U.S.-backed plan for post-war governance.
The plan would establish a transitional authority in Gaza for up to five years, excluding both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Under the reported proposal, the authority would hold “supreme political and legal authority” over Gaza during the interim period.
Hamas has rejected the involvement of Blair in governing Gaza, citing in part his previous failures in the region.
Trump is expected to visit Egypt over the weekend to attend an official signing ceremony, followed by a visit to Israeli occupied territories on Monday. 
On Thursday, Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya confirmed that the Palestinian movement had also approved the agreement to end the war.
He added that the United States and other mediators had provided guarantees that the signing of the deal would mean the war “has ended indefinitely”.