Palestinian president blames Hamas for continuing war in Gaza
Reuters
Sat, 13 July 2024
World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh
RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel and the United States were responsible for an attack that killed dozens in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, but the Western-backed leader also blamed Hamas for the continuing war in Gaza.
His comments signal rising tension between Abbas's Fatah faction and the Islamist Hamas group, which accused the Palestinian president of taking Israel's side.
Israel said the attack was aimed at killing the Hamas military chief Mohammad Deif and his aide. It remained unclear whether Deif or his deputy were killed in the strike that left at least 90 Palestinians dead and 300 wounded, according to Gaza health ministry.
"The Palestinian presidency condemns the slaughter and holds the Israeli government fully responsible, also the U.S. administration that provides all kinds of support to the occupation and its crimes," said Abbas in a statement published by his office.
But Abbas, whose authority maintains a limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, assigned some blame to Hamas, whose Oct 7 attack inside Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were abducted, kicked off the nine-month war in Gaza.
"The presidency sees that by escaping national unity, and providing free pretexts to the occupation state, the Hamas movement is a partner in bearing legal, moral and political responsibility for the continuation of the Israeli war of genocide in Gaza Strip," the statement said.
Hamas has run Gaza since its 2007 takeover of the coastal territory from Abbas loyalists.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters Abbas's statement meant the Palestinian Authority "has chosen to be in the same trench with the occupation".
"Such an attitude will not succeed in blackmailing the resistance or pressuring it," said Abu Zuhri.
Efforts by Arab mediators, led by Egypt, have so far failed to reconcile power struggles between the two sides.
Another Hamas leader, Basem Naim, who took part in previous reconciliation talks with Abbas's Fatah faction, said Abbas was to blame for the failure to reach a unity deal.
Naim said Abbas's comments made him and his authority "partner to the Zioinist enemy and its crimes not only in Gaza but also in all of the Palestinian land."
(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Christina Fincher)
Reuters
Sat, 13 July 2024
World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh
RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel and the United States were responsible for an attack that killed dozens in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, but the Western-backed leader also blamed Hamas for the continuing war in Gaza.
His comments signal rising tension between Abbas's Fatah faction and the Islamist Hamas group, which accused the Palestinian president of taking Israel's side.
Israel said the attack was aimed at killing the Hamas military chief Mohammad Deif and his aide. It remained unclear whether Deif or his deputy were killed in the strike that left at least 90 Palestinians dead and 300 wounded, according to Gaza health ministry.
"The Palestinian presidency condemns the slaughter and holds the Israeli government fully responsible, also the U.S. administration that provides all kinds of support to the occupation and its crimes," said Abbas in a statement published by his office.
But Abbas, whose authority maintains a limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, assigned some blame to Hamas, whose Oct 7 attack inside Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were abducted, kicked off the nine-month war in Gaza.
"The presidency sees that by escaping national unity, and providing free pretexts to the occupation state, the Hamas movement is a partner in bearing legal, moral and political responsibility for the continuation of the Israeli war of genocide in Gaza Strip," the statement said.
Hamas has run Gaza since its 2007 takeover of the coastal territory from Abbas loyalists.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters Abbas's statement meant the Palestinian Authority "has chosen to be in the same trench with the occupation".
"Such an attitude will not succeed in blackmailing the resistance or pressuring it," said Abu Zuhri.
Efforts by Arab mediators, led by Egypt, have so far failed to reconcile power struggles between the two sides.
Another Hamas leader, Basem Naim, who took part in previous reconciliation talks with Abbas's Fatah faction, said Abbas was to blame for the failure to reach a unity deal.
Naim said Abbas's comments made him and his authority "partner to the Zioinist enemy and its crimes not only in Gaza but also in all of the Palestinian land."
(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Christina Fincher)
Rival Palestinian factions spar after dozens killed in strike targeting arch-terrorist Deif; Hamas says Fatah is a ‘partner to the Zionist enemy,’ despite Abbas condemning Israel
By REUTERS and TOI STAFF
Today,
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meets with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in Ramallah, West Bank, November 23, 2023. (Alaa Badarneh/ Pool via AP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Hamas on Saturday for the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, in a back-and-forth which saw the terror group condemn Abbas for siding with Israel.
The exchange signaled rising tensions between Abbas’s Fatah faction and the Islamist terrorist group, who in the past have unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile.
The spat began after an Israeli attack in Gaza on Saturday aimed at Hamas military chief Mohammad Deif and his aide, which left at least 90 Palestinians dead and 300 injured, according to unverifiable reports by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry; Israeli military sources say the strike targeted a Hamas compound, where dozens of Hamas gunmen were gathered.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meets with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in Ramallah, West Bank, November 23, 2023. (Alaa Badarneh/ Pool via AP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Hamas on Saturday for the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, in a back-and-forth which saw the terror group condemn Abbas for siding with Israel.
The exchange signaled rising tensions between Abbas’s Fatah faction and the Islamist terrorist group, who in the past have unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile.
The spat began after an Israeli attack in Gaza on Saturday aimed at Hamas military chief Mohammad Deif and his aide, which left at least 90 Palestinians dead and 300 injured, according to unverifiable reports by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry; Israeli military sources say the strike targeted a Hamas compound, where dozens of Hamas gunmen were gathered.
While it remained unclear whether Deif was killed in the strike, the IDF on Sunday confirmed the death of his deputy, Rafa’a Salameh.
In response to the attack, PA official Munir Al-Jaghoub said in an interview with the Saudi al-Arabiya outlet, “If Hamas wanted to fight face-to-face with Israel, it would’ve done so in areas where the army is located, and not in places where there are people. Hamas is actually hiding between the residents to protect and save itself.”
Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha called on Fatah to condemn Al-Jaghoub’s statement, according to Palestinian media.
“You must cease promoting the false narratives of Israel and align with our people in their decisive and steadfast battle against barbaric attacks,” he said.
Palestinians inspect the damage at a site hit by an Israeli operation targeting Hamas’s shadowy military commander Mohammad Deif in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Instead, Abbas put out a statement saying he “sees that by escaping national unity and providing free pretexts to the occupation state, the Hamas movement is a partner in bearing legal, moral, and political responsibility for the continuation of the Israeli war of genocide in the Gaza Strip.”
But the Palestinian Information Center reported that the PA indeed condemned Al-Jaghoub’s criticism of Hamas, who in turn apologized and asked that his statements be retracted.
The terror group has been accused of prolonging the war by refusing to surrender and release the hostages kidnapped on October 7, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Abbas’s statement indicated that the Palestinian Authority “has chosen to be in the same trench with the occupation.”
“Such an attitude will not succeed in blackmailing the resistance or pressuring it,” Abu Zuhri said.
Another Hamas leader, Bassem Naim, was quoted by Reuters as saying Abbas’s comments made him and his authority “partner to the Zionist enemy and its crimes not only in Gaza, but also in all of the Palestinian land.”
The PA leader did, however, condemn Israel and the US for their role in the destruction caused in Gaza, saying in the statement that he “holds the Israeli government fully responsible, also the US administration that provides all kinds of support to the occupation and its crimes.”
Since the war broke out, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 38,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 15,000 combatants in battle and some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 attack.
Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 326.
Hamas has run Gaza since its violent 2007 takeover of the coastal territory from Abbas loyalists.
Efforts by Arab mediators, led by Egypt, have so far failed to reconcile power struggles between the two rival factions, though in recent months both China and Russia have hosted representatives from the Palestinian groups for unity talks.
Palestinian groups condemn Mahmoud Abbas for blaming Hamas for Israel's war on Gaza
Palestinian groups including Hamas and the Popular Front have condemned Mahmoud Abbas for saying Hamas holds responsibility for Israel's war on Gaza.
The New Arab Staff
14 July, 2024
Palestine PM Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas shares legal, moral and political responsibility for Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip [Getty]
Several Palestinian groups have condemned President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday for blaming Hamas for Israel’s war on Gaza.
Hours after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 90 Palestinians in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in Gaza, the Palestinian presidency issued a statement holding the Israeli government and the US administration to account for the massacre, as well as saying Hamas also holds some blame.
The PM accused the US of providing "all kinds of support to the occupation and its crimes, which are a link in the chain of daily massacres committed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," adding that it constitutes war crimes and genocide which violates international law.
Abbas continued by saying Hamas "is a partner in bearing legal, moral and political responsibility for the continuation of the Israeli war of genocide in Gaza Strip" by evading national unity and "pretexts to the occupying state".
He called on Hamas to prioritise national interests and remove the pretexts to stop Israel’s war.
Hamas has since denounced Abbas’ statement, with senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri telling Reuters the Palestinian Authority "has chosen to be in the same trench with the occupation" and "such an attitude will not succeed in blackmailing the resistance or pressuring it".
The group also called on the presidency to withdraw these "regrettable" statements and stressed that Israel and the US bear responsibility for the ongoing war.
Fatah leader Munir al-Jaghoub found the statement "offensive" to the people of Palestine. At the same time, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also condemned the statement.
"There is a state of broad popular and national solidarity with the resistance, which requires all national forces, including the Fatah movement and the leadership of the Authority, to adhere to the position of national consensus and stand firmly with the resistance, and to refrain from justifying the crimes of the occupation or identifying with its media propaganda," the Front’s statement reads.
The organisation is calling on all national parties to stop making such statements that increase tension and to be instead more unifying, reflecting the Palestine state rather than reinforcing the Israeli narrative.
While Abbas has led the State of Palestine for almost two decades, his reign has been controversial.
Activists have accused the PM of not taking a more active role in addressing Israel’s occupation, while the majority of diaspora Palestinians criticise him and referring to him as "a stick in the wheel of Palestinian democratic progression", according to Palestine and Israel researcher Emad Moussa.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 38,584 Palestinians since October and wounded at least 88,881 others in the same time frame. Around 10,000 others are believed to be still buried under the rubble.
The war on the besieged enclave has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged Gaza into a deep humanitarian crisis.
Palestinian groups including Hamas and the Popular Front have condemned Mahmoud Abbas for saying Hamas holds responsibility for Israel's war on Gaza.
The New Arab Staff
14 July, 2024
Palestine PM Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas shares legal, moral and political responsibility for Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip [Getty]
Several Palestinian groups have condemned President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday for blaming Hamas for Israel’s war on Gaza.
Hours after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 90 Palestinians in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in Gaza, the Palestinian presidency issued a statement holding the Israeli government and the US administration to account for the massacre, as well as saying Hamas also holds some blame.
The PM accused the US of providing "all kinds of support to the occupation and its crimes, which are a link in the chain of daily massacres committed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," adding that it constitutes war crimes and genocide which violates international law.
Abbas continued by saying Hamas "is a partner in bearing legal, moral and political responsibility for the continuation of the Israeli war of genocide in Gaza Strip" by evading national unity and "pretexts to the occupying state".
He called on Hamas to prioritise national interests and remove the pretexts to stop Israel’s war.
Hamas has since denounced Abbas’ statement, with senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri telling Reuters the Palestinian Authority "has chosen to be in the same trench with the occupation" and "such an attitude will not succeed in blackmailing the resistance or pressuring it".
The group also called on the presidency to withdraw these "regrettable" statements and stressed that Israel and the US bear responsibility for the ongoing war.
Fatah leader Munir al-Jaghoub found the statement "offensive" to the people of Palestine. At the same time, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also condemned the statement.
"There is a state of broad popular and national solidarity with the resistance, which requires all national forces, including the Fatah movement and the leadership of the Authority, to adhere to the position of national consensus and stand firmly with the resistance, and to refrain from justifying the crimes of the occupation or identifying with its media propaganda," the Front’s statement reads.
The organisation is calling on all national parties to stop making such statements that increase tension and to be instead more unifying, reflecting the Palestine state rather than reinforcing the Israeli narrative.
While Abbas has led the State of Palestine for almost two decades, his reign has been controversial.
Activists have accused the PM of not taking a more active role in addressing Israel’s occupation, while the majority of diaspora Palestinians criticise him and referring to him as "a stick in the wheel of Palestinian democratic progression", according to Palestine and Israel researcher Emad Moussa.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 38,584 Palestinians since October and wounded at least 88,881 others in the same time frame. Around 10,000 others are believed to be still buried under the rubble.
The war on the besieged enclave has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged Gaza into a deep humanitarian crisis.
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