Abbas: PA will take charge of Gaza to prevent 'second Nakba' for Palestinians

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed the PA's responsibility for the future of the Gaza Strip in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday. Abbas stated that the political body would be ready to act upon an official end to fighting in Gaza.

Abbas said that the PA would be ready to act on their duties following the "cessation of aggression against [their] people."

Abbas claims that the PA has been responsible for Gaza and emphasized the need to work with partners in the Arab world, within the Middle East, and other international actors to avoid future escalation and harm to Palestinians.

Abbas praised Saudi Arabia's statement on the importance of recognizing a Palestinian state over any other form of normalization of diplomatic ties between the kingdom and Israel.

Abbas criticized US President Joe Biden, claiming that "he did not exert real and serious pressure on the Israeli government to establish a path for a political situation that would lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."

Abbas added that there would be no partners in peace from Israel's side in his eyes. Abbas called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "an obstacle" to peace.

“Netanyahu is clearly a stumbling block to a political solution based on international legitimacy and law,” Abbas told the publication. “His rejection of the two-state solution and his announcement of continuing the war on Gaza are clear evidence of his public refusal of the peace process and achieving security and stability. He believes only in the logic of occupation, power, and settlement.”

According to him, the Palestinian population is on its way to a "second Nakba," stating, "The creation of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital is a national necessity. We act resolutely with the help of the countries of the world and strive for full international recognition. At the same time, our people will act against all attempts aimed at uprooting it from its land and will refrain from a new disaster for the Palestinian people, whether in East Jerusalem or the Gaza Strip."

Abbas told Asharq Al-Awsat that destabilization of the region during ongoing tension could have major consequences.

What does Abbas see as necessary steps for 'the day after' the war ends?

In his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Abbas clarified that there is still no clear view of what control of the Gaza Strip will look like upon the end of Israel's War with Hamas. He affirmed his confidence in the PA's responsibility of the Gaza Strip.

He placed an emphasis on the lack of warning ahead of the October 7 attacks, saying "the attack on October 7 surprised everyone, No one expected this, we must work with all parties in order to prevent another Nakba for the Palestinian people."

Abbas called the fighting in Gaza "unprecedented," accusing Israel of being a "killing machine [that] machine works in a deliberate and systematic way to eliminate all the components of the Palestinian Authority in the belief that these methods will achieve security and stability."

"The war must be stopped immediately, to withdraw the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip without occupying a single centimeter of our land. Israel used all security and military measures against the Palestinian people and they proved to be a failure, it is time for the international community to act on the matter."

Abbas also accused Israeli authorities of harming Palestinians while protecting settlements and their residents in the West Bank, according to the interview. He also said that actions in Gaza are fueling additional tensions in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem.