Palestinian Authority Issues Delayed Statement Five Days After Outbreak: "Stop Attacks Immediately"

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on the 12th (local time) urged Israel to "immediately stop the comprehensive attacks on the Palestinian people."

Mahmoud Abbas, Head of the Palestinian Authority
[Photo by Yonhap News]

AFP reported that Abbas made this statement after holding talks with King Abdullah II in Amman, Jordan, on the same day.

This official statement came five days after the Palestinian armed faction Hamas launched airstrikes against Israel on the 7th. Until now, Abbas had remained in Ramallah, the administrative city in the West Bank, only unofficially expressing the fundamental position that "the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against terrorism by Jewish settlers and the Israeli occupation forces."

In the statement, Abbas also criticized both Israel and Hamas, accusing them of violating morality, religion, and international law through the massacre and abuse of civilians, thus adopting an ambiguous and neutral stance toward both sides.

Unlike Hamas, which advocates a hardline armed struggle against Israel to establish an independent state, Abbas has pursued a relatively moderate solution and has been recognized by Western countries for this approach. However, among the Palestinian people, he has faced criticism for being submissive to the United States and weak toward Israel.

The Washington Post (WP) assessed that this situation appears to further weaken the position of Abbas and the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas is reported to be scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who made an urgent visit to Israel on the 12th, in Amman, Jordan, on the 13th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.