RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has urged the Palestinian resistance group Hamas to expedite negotiations and quickly reach a deal on Gaza, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Wednesday.
“We call on the Palestinian resistance movement to quickly complete a prisoner deal, to spare our Palestinian people from the calamity of another catastrophic event with dire consequences, no less dangerous than the Nakba of 1948,” Abbas emphasized.
The reference to the Nakba of 1948 underscores the gravity of the situation, evoking the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the war accompanying the establishment of Israel.
Palestinian Authority Aims to Avoid Further Escalation in Gaza
Despite not being directly involved in the ongoing talks facilitated by Egypt aimed at securing a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Abbas’s internationally recognized Palestinian Authority (PA) remains committed to averting further suffering for Palestinians.
Seated in Ramallah within the occupied West Bank, the PA’s authority has faced criticism from Palestinians who have yet to see their aspirations for statehood realized since 1948.
The stance of the United States, a key ally of Israel and a significant funder of the PA, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. While expressing support for the creation of a Palestinian state, the US has called for reforms within the Palestinian leadership.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated last month the US’s commitment to seeing the PA take effective responsibility for Gaza, with the ultimate aim of reunifying Gaza and the West Bank under Palestinian leadership.
Gaza, under the separate administration of the Palestinian resistance group since 2007, remains at the center of international efforts to address the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the region.
