Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas opened the 32nd session of the Palestinian Central Council in Ramallah today (Wednesday).
In his speech, Abbas presented his vision for the "day after" the war in Gaza, centered on the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip as a governing entity in place of Hamas.
Abbas accused Hamas of responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands in the war and the catastrophe, which he referred to as a "Nakba," caused to the Palestinian Arab people, noting that these were not "tactical losses" or mere "numbers" as claimed by those who brought this catastrophe about by committing the October 7 massacre and by holding the hostages, which he called pretexts to destroy the Gaza Strip and exile its residents.
He repeated his accusations that Hamas has caused serious damage to the Palestinian Arab cause, and that its leaders raised funds in the name of the Palestinian ARab people, which were instead transferred to their private bank accounts.
Abbas presented what he called the "Palestinian priorities," headed by stopping the "war of annihilation", an Israeli withdrawal from all territory in the Gaza Strip, stopping Israeli attacks on Palestinian Arab communities in Judea and Samaria, preventing damage to holy places, lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip and beginning its rehabilitation and struggle against the expulsion of its residents.
In this context, Abbas stated that the Gaza Strip should be transferred to the full control of the Palestinian Authority, which would also collect weapons from the Hamas movement, which would become a political party.