Ramallah [Palestine]: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has made his strongest public condemnation of Hamas to date, labeling the group as “sons of dogs” and demanding they disarm and release all Israeli hostages. His comments come amid escalating conflict in Gaza and renewed international efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking in a televised address from Ramallah on Wednesday, Abbas said:
“Sons of dogs, release the hostages and block their justifications.”
Abbas accused Hamas of giving Israel a pretext for continued attacks on Gaza, stating that stopping what he described as the “Israeli genocide” in the region remains a top priority. While Israel denies any genocidal intent, it insists its actions in Gaza are in self-defense and aimed strictly at Hamas targets.
The Palestinian President also reiterated his vision for a unified Palestinian state and called for the integration of all Palestinian political factions under the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). He urged Hamas to surrender its control of Gaza to the legitimate Palestinian National Authority (PA) and transform into a political party.
“Hamas must end its control over the Gaza Strip, hand over all its affairs to the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the legitimate Palestinian National Authority, and refrain from carrying arms, transforming into a political party that operates according to the laws of the Palestinian state and adheres to international legitimacy.”
Abbas accused Hamas of severely damaging the Palestinian cause since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, suggesting the group had inadvertently provided Israel with justification for its military actions.
“It has provided the occupation (Israel) with dangerous free services, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and allowed this criminal occupation to find free justifications for executing its conspiracies and crimes in the Gaza Strip, with one of the most prominent excuses being hostage-taking.”
In response, Hamas dismissed Abbas’ claims, questioned his authority, and criticized him for shifting the blame away from Israel.
Hamas and Fatah, the faction led by Abbas, have long been rivals. Despite multiple reconciliation attempts—including the 2017 Cairo agreement and a unity accord signed last year—efforts to reunify the Palestinian territories have largely failed. Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian Authority controls parts of the West Bank.
Abbas concluded his remarks by urging the international community to implement past United Nations resolutions and called for an international peace conference to address the conflict.