By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that Israel will not be allowed to separate Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian territory.
He made the statement during a meeting at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah attended by members of the Central Committee of the Fatah movement, several members of its Revolutionary Council, the secretary of the Advisory Council and secretaries of the movement's regions in the northern provinces, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Abbas also reaffirmed “the unwavering Palestinian political stance regarding the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza and the swift delivery of humanitarian aid to the beleaguered region.”
He stressed “the importance of preventing the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land, citing the historical trauma of the 1948 Nakba and the enduring repercussions that have befallen the Palestinian people for decades since then,” according to Wafa.
President Abbas also affirmed “the unity of the Palestinian land in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem under the jurisdiction of the State of Palestine.”
“The State of Palestine will not abandon (its) people in Gaza. We will share the livelihood, the salaries and the stipends in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said.
“We will not allow the occupation's plans to separate Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian territory or annex any part of it.”
The president highlighted “the continuous efforts with international partners and regional allies to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression and provide comprehensive assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza, including enabling them to return to their homes that have been destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces.”
He pointed out that “Israel's withholding of the Palestinian clearance revenues would not block the State of Palestine from fulfilling its responsibilities, especially towards the people of Gaza.”
Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing at least 26,900 Palestinians and injuring 65,949. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala