PA’s Abbas pledges to France to condemn Oct. 7 onslaught, back Hamas disarmament

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas pens letter to France and Saudi Arabia ahead of UN summit pushing Palestinian state, pledging to explicitly condemn 2023 terrorist invasion of Israel, commit to disarmament of Hamas.

By World Israel News Staff

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has committed to explicitly and publicly condemning the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, including the atrocities committed against Israelis and the kidnapping of roughly 250 civilians and soldiers.

With a United Nations summit, sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia set to be held next week, pushing for the recognition of unilateral Palestinian statehood, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas penned a letter to the summit’s co-sponsors pledging to take key steps to secure international backing.

According to the French AFP news agency, the letter to the Macron government was delivered by a French official source.

The 89-year-old Palestinian leader, who was elected to a four-year term in 2005 and subsequently refused to hold follow-up votes, has faced growing pressure from abroad both to carry out internal reforms in the PA and to toughen Ramallah’s stance on Hamas.

In an attempt to address concerns regarding the PA’s ability to rule Gaza after the current war and to address human rights concerns in Judea and Samaria, Abbas made eight separate pledges in his letters to France and Saudi Arabia.

The promises include a commitment from Abbas to explicitly condemn Hamas atrocities against Israelis on October 7 – a step the PA’s ruling Fatah party has yet to take.

“What Hamas did in October, killing and taking civilians hostage, is unacceptable and condemnable and Hamas has to immediately release all hostages and captives,” Abbas wrote.

In addition, Abbas wrote that the PA is prepared to assume control over the Gaza Strip once a ceasefire is reached between Hamas and Israel, and, separately, pledged the PA would commit to ensuring Hamas is disarmed across not only the Gaza Strip, but Judea and Samaria as well.

“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces, which will oversee their removal outside Palestinian territory, with Arab and international support.”

Furthermore, Abbas said the PA would invite foreign peacekeepers to Gaza once it assumes control over the territory, and would submit to foreign supervision of antisemitic incitement in Palestinian media and schools.

Abbas also said new elections would be held within the next year and internal reforms carried out including combating corruption, the establishment of a vice presidency, and ending PA payments to jailed terrorists.