Search

Hamas to blame for ongoing ‘Nakba’ – Palestinian Authority

Palestinian Authority blasts Hamas for abandoning Gazans while leadership lives in “seven-star hotels.”

By World Israel News Staff

The Palestinian Authority slammed Hamas in a statement released on Friday, blaming the Gaza-based terror group for the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people.

“Did Hamas consult the Palestinian leadership or any Palestinian national party when it made its decision to carry out the ‘adventure’ of last October 7, which led to a catastrophe more horrific and crueler than the ‘Nakba’ of 1948?” read the PA statement.

Palestinian groups often use the word “Nakba,” which is Arabic for catastrophe, to describe the establishment of the state of Israel.

Notably, the statement from the PA – who the Biden administration is pushing as a viable peace partner for Israel – did not condemn the atrocities of October 7th.

The sharp criticism comes after officials from both sides have floated the idea of partnering together to administer post-war Gaza, with senior leaders saying they’d be willing to work together after nearly two decades of bitter rivalry.

However, a move by current PA president Mahmoud Abbas to appoint a successor, without consulting Hamas’ top brass, led to the terror group to say that the PA was wrong to act unilaterally.

In the statement, the PA fired back, asking sarcastically if Hamas had consulted with the PA regarding the hostage negotiations, “which have no goal other than securing guarantees of personal security for its leadership.”

Referencing the fact that Hamas is heavily funded by Iran, the PA asked if the terror group would prefer to “appoint a prime minister from Iran, or let Tehran appoint a prime minister for the Palestinians.”

In closing, the statement called out Hamas leaders for fleeing the Strip while abandoning the Gazan public to face a “brutal war,” suggesting that the “comfortable life” led by Hamas’ leadership in “seven-star hotels has blinded it from what is right.”

Despite the scathing statement from the PA, Hamas is significantly more popular among the Palestinian public.

According to recent polls, a vast majority – more than 80 percent – of residents of PA-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria believe that Hamas was “correct” in launching the October 7th massacre.