Should Hamas Surrender Its Weapons to the Palestinian Authority?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Abbas urges Hamas to transfer arms to the Palestinian Authority.
- He emphasizes Israel's withdrawal from Gaza as essential.
- Calls for immediate humanitarian aid access.
- Condemns Israeli settlement expansion and attacks on holy sites.
- Proposes an international peace conference in New York.
Ramallah, July 14 (NationPress) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged Hamas to transfer its arms to the Palestinian Authority (PA). During a discussion with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Amman, the capital of Jordan, Abbas asserted that "Hamas will not govern Gaza in the post-conflict period," according to a report by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.
He emphasized that the only practical resolution for the Gaza Strip involves Israel's complete withdrawal and empowering the State of Palestine to take responsibility, supported by both Arab and international communities.
WAFA noted that the meeting focused on recent events in the Palestinian territories, alongside political and humanitarian issues stemming from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
President Abbas highlighted the urgency of achieving an immediate ceasefire, freeing all hostages and prisoners, and allowing unrestricted humanitarian aid into the region.
During the meeting, he criticized unilateral Israeli actions, including the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, while rejecting any efforts to annex Palestinian lands and condemning repeated assaults on Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Furthermore, Abbas called for initiating a political dialogue to implement the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, proposing an international peace conference in New York to realize this vision.