PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of seeking Palestine’s destruction, claimed starvation deaths in Gaza exceed war casualties, and positioned the PA as ready to govern Gaza “the day after.”
In a fiery interview with Al-Arabiya, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) accused Israel of pursuing the complete destruction of Palestine. He charged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to continue what he described as a “war of annihilation” and is clinging to power merely to avoid legal prosecution.
Abbas painted a grim picture of conditions in Gaza, alleging that hunger-related deaths now outnumber war casualties. He simultaneously praised Jordan and Egypt for standing firm against what he called efforts to expel Palestinians from Gaza and Judea and Samaria.
Looking ahead, Abbas declared that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to assume control of Gaza in the post-war era, provided Hamas accepts the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, abandons independent militias, and agrees to the principle of a unified Palestinian state. He suggested that Arab or international partners could also share in the administration of Gaza.
The PA leader said Ramallah is actively pursuing diplomatic channels to secure an end to the conflict and lobbying internationally for full UN membership for a Palestinian state.
Abbas further claimed that Netanyahu remains implacably opposed to Palestinian statehood and that many Israelis now regret recognizing the PLO. He stressed that the Oslo Accords never required Palestinian concessions to Israel, noting that since the deal, 1.8 million Palestinians have returned to what he termed their homeland.
