Mahmoud Abbas accused the Palestinian group, Hamas at a Ramallah meeting on Monday of “being responsible for the assassination attempt against Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and chief of intelligence Majid Faraj in Gaza last week,” saying that he decided to take national, legal and financial measures to punish Hamas for its act.
Abbas said he,
“does not want to punish the Palestinian people, but he has to take action against Hamas, which rules Gaza and refuses to allow the Palestinian government to rule there.”
“I have decided to take national, legal and financial measures to protect out national project,” said Abbas.
“We never thought of punishing any Palestinian citizen, not in the West Bank or Gaza. But we have to say where the wrong is and where the crime is. This situation is not acceptable.”
Hamas has denied responsibility. It arrested several suspects accusing them of being behind the assassination attempt.
In a recent article, Israeli journalist, Amira Hass noted, Hamas “could not have any interest in attacking senior Palestinian Authority officials on their way to inaugurate a sewage treatment plant that residents of the Gaza Strip have long awaited.”
Palestinian journalist, Ramzy Baroud agreed. “It would make no sense for Hamas to kill Hamdallah,” he said. “The group has worked tirelessly to engage the PA, as life in Gaza has become truly unlivable. Their leadership and reputation has suffered as a result of the failed efforts to end the siege.”
Mahmoud Abbas threatened Gaza with more penalties.
He is going to prevent all the salaries of the employees.
end the international charities. & stop sending fuel for the power plant station in Gaza. stop sending medicine for the patients.
Abbas is another type of occ. in Pal. pic.twitter.com/Bb3i3p9YMg— Myriam.W مريم الوردي (@MyriamWardei) March 19, 2018
However, Abbas accused Hamas of “sabotaging all efforts for reconciliation,” saying that either the Palestinian government takes full charge of everything in Gaza, or the de facto authority remains fully responsible for it.
He said he will not wait for Hamas’ investigation into the assassination attempt “because we know that they, Hamas, are behind it.”
He lashed out at the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, saying he is a settler who supports settlements when he said that Israel was building in its territory and not in occupied areas.
Mahmoud Abbas: US ambassador to Israel is a 'son of a dog' https://t.co/255GwoCRek
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) March 19, 2018
“He’s a settler, so what can we expect from him,” said Abbas describing Friedman.
(Wafa, PC, Social Media)
When will the Palestinians, Arabs and Muslim wake-up and realize that the enemy has been manipulating us for over a century? The west had utilized the divide and conquer strategy against us and colonized us, Palestine is not the only occupied land…..all our lands are under occupation.Palestine is under a brutal military occupation, while the rest of the Arab & Muslim world squabbles over power..fighting over who “leads” in the Middle East versus how to unite and liberate us. We have not learned from our history & experience. The west continues to divide us, and the Arabs & Muslims are too stupid to see it. The internal fighting will always keep us down.