Rivals Hamas, PA hold ’emergency’ meeting to strategize against Trump plan

Relations between the rival Palestinian factions have been strained ever since 2007 when Hamas overthrew the PA in Gaza.

By World Israel News Staff

In a call for unity on the eve of President Trump’s Mideast peace plan, the leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas will be holding an “emergency” meeting on Tuesday in Ramallah to discuss a unified strategy in response.

“We invited the Hamas movement to attend the emergency meeting of the leadership and they will take part in the meeting,” senior Palestinian official Azzam al-Ahmed said.

“The meeting will discuss the position that must be taken (against) Trump’s plan,” Hamas official Nasser al-Din al-Shaar.

Relations between the rival Palestinian factions have been strained ever since 2007 when Hamas overthrew the PA in Gaza. Sporadic efforts to reconcile their differences have unsuccessfully been attempted over the years, but in more recent times, Abbas is believed to have “seldom communicated” with senior Hamas leaders.

Palestinian protests have been scheduled to take place in the Jordan Valley, Gaza, and Judea and Samaria on Wednesday.

On Monday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas held a closed-door meeting with the Fatah leadership.

“Trump is a dog and the son of a dog,” Al Mayadeen TV station quoted Abbas as saying. “This is a sh*t person, a bastard who wants to force a plan on us that we don’t want. His government is a government of dogs.”

“I was told I’ll pay a heavy price for my foolish behavior. I do not have much longer to live and I will not go down as a traitor. It’s either dying like martyrs or flying the Palestinian flag on the walls of Jerusalem,” he said.

Trump is expected to present the proposal alongside Netanyahu at noon Tuesday in Washington. In unconfirmed reports, the plan will give Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and all settlements in Judea and Samaria, in addition to a demilitarized Palestinian state.