In a significant development ahead of a UN conference on the two-state solution, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed support for Hamas to lay down its arms and step away from governing Gaza as part of a future Palestinian state.
Mahmoud Abbas © JCMES
In a significant development ahead of a UN conference on the two-state solution, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed support for Hamas to lay down its arms and step away from governing Gaza as part of a future Palestinian state.
The statement was made in a letter addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who will co-chair the conference in New York from June 17 to 21, according to a Tuesday announcement from the French presidency.
In the letter, Abbas condemned the actions of Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack, describing the killing and taking of civilian hostages as “unacceptable and condemnable.” He urged the Islamist Palestinian movement to “immediately release all hostages and detainees.”
Furthermore, Abbas signaled openness to international involvement, stating his readiness to “invite Arab and international forces to deploy as part of a stabilization/protection mission under a UN Security Council mandate.”
This proposal underscores his vision for a restructured governance framework in Gaza and the broader Palestinian territories.
Iran and Israel traded missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, the day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against its old enemy, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.
Egyptian authorities have blocked a convoy organized by the Global March to Gaza, detaining several dozen pro-Palestinian activists outside Cairo for hours, according to the group’s organizers. Some were released, but others remain in custody.
Let’s face it. Israel is fighting alone. This is not a war of choice—it’s a war of necessity.
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