Palestinian president Abbas urges Hamas to hand over its arms

RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the militant group Hamas on Wednesday (Apr 23) to cede responsibility for the Gaza Strip, hand over its arms to the Palestinian Authority and turn itself into a political party.

Hamas has refused calls in recent months by Israel and the United States to lay down its arms.

Abbas made his remarks in a speech during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah at which he is expected to name a successor, part of efforts to answer international doubts over the Palestinian Authority's viability at a critical moment for the region.

"Hamas must hand over (its) Gaza responsibilities and hand over its arms to the responsibility to Palestinian Authority and transform into a political party," Abbas said.

Abbas has criticised the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, which he said gave Israel a pretext to destroy Gaza. Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack.

Hamas, which opposes Abbas' efforts at peacemaking with Israel, has accused him of cracking down against militant factions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It did not immediately comment on Abbas's new remarks.

Abbas urged world leaders to compel Israel to end the war in Gaza, pull out its forces and end the activities of Jewish settlements, adding that there can be no peace until the Palestinians establish a state in the borders that were in place before the 1967 Middle East war.