US President Joe Biden spoke today (Sunday) with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the aftermath of the Hamas massacre of over 1,300 Israelis on the morning of Simchat Torah.
According to Hebrew-language reports on the conversation, Abbas issued his first condemnation of the Hamas massacre, though he stopped short of issuing an absolute condemnation of Hamas' act of genocide. The PA chairman has been criticized for only commenting on the right of the Palestinian Arabs to "resist" Israel in the wake of the massacre instead of condemning his political rivals for their crimes against humanity.
The two leaders discussed the efforts to coordinate with the Qatari government to secure the release of 150-200 people illegally kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas terrorists, including women, children, and the elderly.
During the conversation, Abbas expressed his support for Egypt's refusal to allow Gazan civilians to leave the coastal enclave through the Rafah Crossing as Israel has called on Gazan civilians to flee from northern Gaza ahead of an expected ground assault aimed at eliminating Hamas' ability to commit such atrocities ever again.