Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced his determination to visit the Gaza Strip, even if Israel denies him entry to the Palestinian enclave. This assertion was made by Mahmoud al-Habbash, an adviser to Abbas, during an interview with the Egyptian TV channel Al-Qahira Al-Ikhbariya.
Al-Habbash emphasized that Abbas, along with the entire Palestinian leadership, is committed to making the visit, regardless of potential Israeli restrictions. He further called on the UN Security Council to ensure that Abbas' visit to Gaza can take place, stressing that the primary goal of the visit is to reaffirm the unity of Palestinian territories. He argued that the timing and reasons behind Abbas' decision are secondary to the importance of ensuring the visit occurs.
Al-Habbash also expressed confidence that the Palestinian Hamas movement, which currently controls Gaza, is unlikely to oppose Abbas' visit.
Abbas revealed his intention to visit Gaza on August 15 during an address to the Turkish parliament. He has not visited the enclave since 2007, when Hamas took control, though he has made plans to visit in the past, such as in 2011. Despite Hamas not recognizing the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) over Gaza, Abbas has consistently viewed Gaza as an integral part of Palestine.
On August 19, the Israeli portal Walla reported that the PNA had submitted a formal request to the Israeli authorities to “coordinate a visit” for Abbas to Gaza in the near future. The final decision on this matter rests with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Walla, Israel believes that Abbas made the request expecting it to be denied, which would allow him to blame Israel for preventing his entry into Gaza. However, if the visit is approved, it could be seen as a significant political victory for Abbas over Hamas, potentially signaling a return of the PNA's influence in Gaza following the conclusion of the Israeli operation there.
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Based on materials from TASS