Abbas Threatens to End Hamas Unity Deal
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Abbas Threatens to End Hamas Unity Deal
PA chairman says in Cairo he 'can't trust Hamas,' adds that Hamas
death toll in Gaza op. was actually 850, confirming Israeli estimations.
First Publish: 9/7/2014, 7:49 AM
Mahmoud Abbas
Flash 90
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas spoke to Arab
journalists in Cairo
on Saturday night, warning that the unity deal he sealed with the Hamas terrorist organization
in April - torpedoing peace talks with Israel - is on the brink of collapse.
Speaking in the wake of Operation Protective Edge which Hamas initiated with a rocket
onslaught, Abbas said "if the government will not be unified, (in terms of) the weapons
and laws in the West Bank and Gaza, there won't be any partnership or discussion with the
(Hamas) organization."
"I don't trust Hamas much because they change their words all the time. There must be a
unified Palestinian Authority," remarked Abbas.
The PA chairman also confirmed reports of a stormy meeting he had with Hamas politburo
chief Khaled Mashaal in Qatar on August 21, in which he slammed the Hamas leader for his
organization's coup attempt against Abbas in Judea and Samaria.
"You are smuggling weapons, explosives and money to the (West) Bank - and not to fight Israel,
but to hold a coup against the (Palestinian) Authority," Abbas reportedly said in his tirade on
Mashaal.
Commenting on the meeting Saturday night, Abbas remarked "Hamas has been trying to cause
the Palestinian Authority to fail since the day it was formed."
Another point Abbas touched on was the death toll in Operation Protective Edge. Hamas has been
busily pushing an inflated civilian death toll to world media outlets that rely on it for figures given
the lack of objective investigation in the Hamas stronghold of Gaza, and in doing so Hamas uses a
variety of tactics to skew the numbers.
Abbas burst the claims, saying "Hamas says the number of dead from their ranks didn't go past 50,
when in actuality over 850 Hamas members and their family members were killed."
Hamas's health ministry has claimed just slightly over 2,000 Gazans dead in the operation. Given
that, Abbas's figure, which didn't include the number of killed terrorists from other groups such as
Islamic Jihad, would support Israeli reports placing the ratio of civilian to terrorist casualties at
roughly 1:1, an almost unprecedented achievement in urban warfare.
"Hamas atrocities" against Fatah?
Speaking about the execution of "collaborators" with Israel that Hamas committed towards the end
of the operation, Abbas added "Hamas conducted atrocities during the war in Gaza, also at its end
when it executed 120 people without trial because they breached the curfew placed on them."
Abbas's mention of curfews appears to be a reference to a reported decision by Hamas to confine
dozens of Fatah members to effective house arrest for the duration of the conflict with Israel.
The executions have led to limited international condemnation, and a lawsuit at the International
Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. Rights groups say the charges of "collaboration" with Israel
were merely an excuse for Hamas to kill off several high-profile political opponents, including
members of Abbas's Fatah faction - a charge Abbas appeared to back in the interview.
Abbas said he plans to present his plan to have the UN set a timeline demanding Israel withdraw
from the 1949 Armistice lines to Arab foreign ministers on Sunday. When asked if he would
disband the PA if Israel did not give in to his demands, he said "all options are open."
It is worth noting that Abbas's heavy criticism of Hamas comes at a time when the terrorist
organization has been enjoying a resurgence of street credibility in Gaza, Judea and Samaria
following its terror war on Israel.
A poll last Tuesday found that a full 61% of Arab residents of the areas would pick Hamas leader
Ismail Haniyeh for unity government president if elections were held today, whereas Abbas would
have a mere 32% in support.
on Saturday night, warning that the unity deal he sealed with the Hamas terrorist organization
in April - torpedoing peace talks with Israel - is on the brink of collapse.
Speaking in the wake of Operation Protective Edge which Hamas initiated with a rocket
onslaught, Abbas said "if the government will not be unified, (in terms of) the weapons
and laws in the West Bank and Gaza, there won't be any partnership or discussion with the
(Hamas) organization."
"I don't trust Hamas much because they change their words all the time. There must be a
unified Palestinian Authority," remarked Abbas.
The PA chairman also confirmed reports of a stormy meeting he had with Hamas politburo
chief Khaled Mashaal in Qatar on August 21, in which he slammed the Hamas leader for his
organization's coup attempt against Abbas in Judea and Samaria.
"You are smuggling weapons, explosives and money to the (West) Bank - and not to fight Israel,
but to hold a coup against the (Palestinian) Authority," Abbas reportedly said in his tirade on
Mashaal.
Commenting on the meeting Saturday night, Abbas remarked "Hamas has been trying to cause
the Palestinian Authority to fail since the day it was formed."
Another point Abbas touched on was the death toll in Operation Protective Edge. Hamas has been
busily pushing an inflated civilian death toll to world media outlets that rely on it for figures given
the lack of objective investigation in the Hamas stronghold of Gaza, and in doing so Hamas uses a
variety of tactics to skew the numbers.
Abbas burst the claims, saying "Hamas says the number of dead from their ranks didn't go past 50,
when in actuality over 850 Hamas members and their family members were killed."
Hamas's health ministry has claimed just slightly over 2,000 Gazans dead in the operation. Given
that, Abbas's figure, which didn't include the number of killed terrorists from other groups such as
Islamic Jihad, would support Israeli reports placing the ratio of civilian to terrorist casualties at
roughly 1:1, an almost unprecedented achievement in urban warfare.
"Hamas atrocities" against Fatah?
Speaking about the execution of "collaborators" with Israel that Hamas committed towards the end
of the operation, Abbas added "Hamas conducted atrocities during the war in Gaza, also at its end
when it executed 120 people without trial because they breached the curfew placed on them."
Abbas's mention of curfews appears to be a reference to a reported decision by Hamas to confine
dozens of Fatah members to effective house arrest for the duration of the conflict with Israel.
The executions have led to limited international condemnation, and a lawsuit at the International
Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. Rights groups say the charges of "collaboration" with Israel
were merely an excuse for Hamas to kill off several high-profile political opponents, including
members of Abbas's Fatah faction - a charge Abbas appeared to back in the interview.
Abbas said he plans to present his plan to have the UN set a timeline demanding Israel withdraw
from the 1949 Armistice lines to Arab foreign ministers on Sunday. When asked if he would
disband the PA if Israel did not give in to his demands, he said "all options are open."
It is worth noting that Abbas's heavy criticism of Hamas comes at a time when the terrorist
organization has been enjoying a resurgence of street credibility in Gaza, Judea and Samaria
following its terror war on Israel.
A poll last Tuesday found that a full 61% of Arab residents of the areas would pick Hamas leader
Ismail Haniyeh for unity government president if elections were held today, whereas Abbas would
have a mere 32% in support.
Labels: Conflict, Fatah, Hamas, Israel, Palestinian Authority
posted by Pieface | 7:29 AM
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