Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to end a unity agreement with Hamas, claiming the organization is not allowing Government to operate properly in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas denounced the allegations as “baseless”.
The unity announcement in April unsettled Israel, which broke off peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. During its recent 50-day war with Gaza, the Netanyahu Government tried to use ceasefire negotiations to drive a wedge between the PA and Hamas, proposing that the Authority take over responsibility for border crossings and security in the territory.
“We will not accept the situation with Hamas continuing as it is at the moment,” Abbas said, in remarks published by official Palestinian news agency WAFA. “We won’t accept a partnership with them if the situation continues like this in Gaza, where there is a shadow government…running the territory.”
Abbas claimed that, because of Hamas obstructions, “The national consensus government cannot do anything on the ground.”
Abbas’ warning was reinforced by a curious incident as he addressed the Arab League in Cairo.
Only 30 seconds into his speech, Abbas referred to Hamas’ control of Gaza in 2007 when it defeated forces from Abbas’ Fatah organization. He was handed a note and abruptly stopped speaking as an official ordered journalists out of the room.
In Gaza, spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Abbas’s allegations that Hamas were hampering the operations of the national consensus government were “unjustified”.
