Instead of rejecting terrorism, Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas “embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for joint control of Gaza after the war,” the top diplomat said. “In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas’s rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel’s security will remain solely in Israel’s hands,” he added.
Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for joint control of Gaza after the war. Instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmoud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face. In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas's rule will be crushed, and Abbas… pic.twitter.com/JZMqeMqH5J
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 23, 2024
Earlier on Tuesday, senior Hamas terrorist Musa Abu Marzouk announced the signing of a Palestinian unity agreement that includes Abbas’s Fatah faction, which rules areas of Judea and Samaria.
“Today, we sign an agreement, and we say that the path to completing this journey is national unity. We are committed to national unity, and we call for it,” stated Abu Marzouk.
The “Beijing Declaration” was signed by 14 Palestinian factions that took part in negotiations hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Fatah, based in Ramallah, and Hamas have been split since 2007 following the latter’s violent takeover of Gaza. There have been many failed attempts to bring the two factions together.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has insisted that an “effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority” should ultimately govern Gaza.
During a Jan. 10 meeting in Ramallah, Blinken pressed Abbas on “administrative reforms, which, if implemented, would benefit the Palestinian people.” Sky News Arabia described the meeting as “tense” and marked by “arguments.”
The Biden administration wants the P.A. to assume control of the Strip after Israel’s war against Hamas ends, a move that Jerusalem rejects because of Ramallah’s overt support for terrorism.
On Jan. 27, Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Al Arabiya that the P.A. is prepared to hand over the reins to Hamas if it won a general election. Ramallah is “prepared to hold general elections, and if Hamas wins, the president will hand over the Authority,” he said.
