Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sent a letter to foreign heads of state and heads of international organizations, rejecting the principles outlined in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's program on the "day after" the defeat of the Hamas movement.
According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas "warned of the dangerous consequences of Netanyahu's principles, which defy international attitudes and efforts to achieve a ceasefire." He called for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and increased humanitarian aid, including food, medical aid, and basic necessities.
In his letters, Abbas "urged for urgent international intervention to stop the Israeli war of hunger in Gaza, which has been aggravated by the spread of epidemics, and providing shelter to more than 1.8 million displaced Palestinians, ensuring their return to their homes, especially in the northern areas of the Gaza Strip."
Abbas further called for "the opening of hospitals and schools in the war-torn enclave, emphasizing the need for the continued operation and funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to fulfill its mandate."
"Netanyahu's 'day after' plan, which involves announcing the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish settlements, reflects the declared policy of his government, which denies recognition to the Palestinian people and insists on asserting Israeli sovereignty over all territory from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River," stressed Abbas. "The objective of this Israeli government with extremist views is not only to obstruct the prospects of achieving peace through a two-state solution, but also to escalate ethnic cleansing efforts and forcibly remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, while targeting the identity, character, and sacred sites of Jerusalem," he cautioned, underscoring that such Israeli actions could result in a "potentially explosive outcome."
"Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and we are prepared to take the necessary measures to assume governance responsibility in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Furthermore, we are ready to collaborate to establish security, peace, and stability in the region within the framework of a comprehensive peace plan," he reassured.
Netanyahu's program, circulated by Israel's Foreign Ministry, states that Israel intends to maintain military control over the entire area west of the Jordan River, including the land, sea, and airspace of the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It also mentions Israel's intention to seek the closure of UNRWA and continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
The situation in the Middle East escalated after fighters from the Palestinian movement Hamas infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.
Israel declared a full blockade of Gaza and initiated airstrikes on it as well as parts of Lebanon and Syria, followed by a ground operation in the enclave. Concurrently, clashes are occurring in the West Bank. Since the onset of the conflict escalation, the IDF killed almost 30,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip alone.
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Based on materials from TASS