Palestinian president: Hamas will have no role in governing post-war Gaza
The Palestinian president, speaking to world leaders via video after the US revoked his visa, condemned the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged that the militant group would have no role in governing Gaza once the war ends. Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that Hamas must hand over its weapons.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Abbas stated that Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a war of genocide, destruction, starvation, and displacement at the hands of Israel. His speech preceded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled in-person address in New York on Friday.
In a concise but determined speech, President Abbas reiterated his vision for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel—a two-state solution that has gained renewed international support. Over the past week, several countries, including key US allies, recognized Palestinian statehood, offering hope to Palestinians worldwide.
However, this vision remains distant from current realities. Netanyahu’s government has openly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israeli forces control most of the Gaza Strip, and Netanyahu has declared that Israel will maintain security control over Gaza after Hamas is defeated. He also refuses to grant any administrative role in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas.
Some ministers within Netanyahu’s government have advocated for annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority currently manages small areas.
“There can be no justice if Palestine is not freed,” Abbas declared. He assured that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to assume full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza. Abbas emphasized that Hamas must relinquish its role in governance and surrender its weapons to Palestinian authorities.
While Hamas has agreed to step down from power in Gaza, it rejects Israeli demands to disarm, asserting its right to resist Israeli occupation.
Abbas condemned Israel’s campaign in Gaza as not merely aggression but a war crime and a crime against humanity. Numerous experts worldwide have accused Israel of genocide in its offensive on Gaza—a charge Israel denies, placing blame on Hamas for the devastation.
The Palestinian president thanked world leaders who have supported Palestinians during the conflict and cited recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood as a beacon of hope for peace. He welcomed announcements from France, the UK, and Canada to recognize Palestine as an independent state and called on the remaining countries to do the same.
However, Abbas stressed that symbolic recognition alone is insufficient. “The time has come for the international community to do right by the Palestinian people so that they may obtain their legitimate rights, be free of the occupation, and no longer remain hostages to the temperament of Israeli politics, which denies our rights and continues its injustice, oppression, and aggression,” he said.
Concluding his address, Abbas delivered a message of resilience and hope to the Palestinian people: “No matter how long the suffering continues, its results will not break our will to live and survive.”
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that Israel’s campaign has killed more than 65,000 people and wounded over 167,000. Although it does not specify how many are civilians or combatants, women and children make up around half the fatalities. Over 90% of housing in Gaza has been destroyed, most of the population of more than two million have been displaced, and famine has been declared in northern Gaza.
The current conflict began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Forty-eight captives remain in Gaza, with Israel believing around 20 are still alive.
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https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/palestinian-president-hamas-will-have-no-role-in-governing-post-war-gaza-1811024.html
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