Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas on Thursday to hand over power in Gaza to the national unity government, or bear the consequences.
“I reiterate that Hamas must hand over everything to the national unity government… Hamas will bear the consequences for thwarting the Egyptian efforts,” Abbas said.
Abbas' remarks came at a joint press conference with visiting Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday.
Egypt has been brokering a reconciliation deal under which the Palestinian Authority would again assume administrative and security control in Gaza.
The Palestinian president expressed his intention to take national, legal and financial measures against the Gaza Strip, blaming Hamas for the assassination attempt of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and PA’s intelligence chief Majid Faraj despite the movement’s denial of involvement in the attack on their convoy.
Munir al-Jaghoub, who heads Fatah's information department at the Office of Mobilization and Organization, said that Hamas should choose between reconciliation and its continued hijacking of Gaza, and its consequences.
For his part, Hamdallah renewed his demand for Hamas to empower his government in Gaza, urging it to act responsibly and save the people of Gaza from more division and horrors.
In his turn, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev backed the two-state solution, describing the current political condition as complex.
Radev also renewed his country’s stance towards the Palestinian cause.
Tension rose between the United States and the Palestinian Authority after President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
