Hamas rips into Abbas after UN speech
Hamas relations with the Palestinian Authority are getting worse, and a recent poll reveals that 78% of Palestinians want Mahmoud Abbas to resign as president.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the United Nations on Sept. 24 outraged opposition groups including Hamas, which said his remarks were a clear acknowledgment of his inability to make any achievement through the Oslo process he is leading.
Wafa News Agency reported Sept. 23 that Hamas was attacking Abbas online prior to his speech at the United Nations, due to the impasse that the movement is in after the reconstruction failed and the Qatari grant was halted. It added that Hamas is trying to export its crises by targeting Abbas.
Relations between Hamas and the PA are seemingly very tense, as the two sides have escalated their accusations in the media.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem described Abbas’ speech as weak and not living up to the Palestinian people’s aspirations. He added that the speech showed that Abbas recognizes the failure of his political path, and “did not commit to arranging the Palestinian’s internal affairs on democratic foundations.”
