Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area, saying that practices in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were making Palestinians’ economic and social lives more difficult.
Speaking at the opening of the first session of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, Abbas called for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without obstruction and for recovery and reconstruction efforts to begin. Saying that Palestinian institutions must fulfill their responsibilities in Gaza, Abbas called for the immediate and full implementation of the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan.
Abbas said that suffering in Gaza continued despite support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 and agreements on implementing the plan’s second phase. He argued that, although nearly a year had passed since the resolution was adopted, the necessary progress had not been achieved on a permanent ceasefire, recovery and reconstruction.
Saying that Israel was continuing its attacks and deepening its occupation of Gaza, Abbas stated that humanitarian aid was reaching the area only with difficulty. Abbas said they supported international efforts and would not accept any harm to the territorial integrity of the Palestinian territories or the sovereign institutions of the State of Palestine.
Practices in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
Abbas said they were facing the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, attacks by Israelis who seize Palestinian land, the confiscation of land and grazing areas, home demolitions, and the establishment of military checkpoints that sever connections between cities and villages. He said Israel was withholding more than $6 billion in Palestinian funds.
Abbas argued that these practices were part of a policy aimed at weakening the Palestinian people’s ability to survive and resist and forcing them to migrate. He said that, despite the worsening conditions, Palestinians would not give up their rights or leave their land.
Abbas said the Palestinian administration was continuing its contacts to secure the release of withheld funds, halt settlement activity and unilateral practices, and preserve the two-state solution. He called for concrete steps to be taken.
Opposition to the E1 project
Addressing the E1 settlement project planned for east of East Jerusalem, Abbas said it would separate the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings.
Abbas said the project would weaken the possibility of establishing an independent and geographically contiguous Palestinian state. He stated that the project envisaged connecting Israel’s Maale Adumim settlement to Jerusalem and constructing approximately 3,400 new housing units after confiscating Palestinian land.
Reform and election plan
Abbas announced that the Palestinian administration would continue its national reform program, saying that the reforms were a national choice rather than the result of external pressure. He said elections had been held within Fatah as well as in local governments and some associations and trade unions.
Abbas announced that legislative elections were planned for Nov. 28. He also said that relevant committees had begun work on elections for the Palestine National Council, the parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Abbas said they would continue working with the international coalition to implement the two-state solution, adding that the State of Palestine was not an unattainable goal but an established right.
