Palestinian Authority Leader Urges Hamas to "Reach Agreement with Israel on Hostage Release"

Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), unusually urged the armed faction Hamas to agree to an exchange of hostages and detainees with Israel.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA on the 14th (local time), Abbas said in a statement that day, "In the situation of all-out war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, we urge Hamas to conclude negotiations for a hostage-detainee exchange."

He added that this war raises concerns of a disaster more dangerous than the 1948 Nakba (the displacement of Palestinians following the establishment of Israel), emphasizing, "Negotiations must be concluded to avoid the Rafah attack by occupying forces, which would lead to thousands of casualties and the displacement of Palestinian residents."

Abbas stated, "We will hold all forces obstructing negotiations accountable," and added, "The situation has reached an intolerable level. Everyone must take responsibility."

He reiterated, "Once again, I urge everyone, especially Hamas, to promptly agree to the release of hostages to protect our people and remove all obstacles."

The PA, led by Abbas, has been competing with Hamas for leadership over Palestine.

Meanwhile, the day before, in Cairo, Egypt, negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage-detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas resumed under the mediation of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.

According to foreign media, the talks continued efforts to narrow differences between Israel and Hamas based on the basic premise of a six-week temporary ceasefire and the initiation of discussions for a permanent ceasefire.

However, no concrete results emerged from the negotiations, and the Israeli delegation led by Mossad Director David Barnea returned to their home country.

Nonetheless, foreign media such as The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing Egyptian officials, that the negotiations were extended for three days, during which talks at the working-level are expected to continue.

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