Baghdad Summit: President Abbas urges Gaza without Hamas

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned that the Palestinian cause faces an “existential threat,” calling for Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza.

Speaking at the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Abbas accused Israel of pursuing a strategy of “killing and forced displacement” to undermine the two-state solution. “There must be one legitimate authority and one security apparatus,” he said, urging Hamas and all factions to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas proposed convening an international conference in Cairo to finance Gaza’s reconstruction and called for Arab funding of reform and development programs in the West Bank and Jerusalem. He also demanded an end to unilateral Israeli actions, including settlement expansion and forced displacement, and called for launching a time-bound political process to implement the two-state solution.

The Palestinian leader reiterated his commitment to democratic legitimacy, announcing readiness to hold legislative elections in 2025.

He concluded by stating that any group seeking to join the Palestine Liberation Organization must recognize it as “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”