Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas reportedly expressed outrage that a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was being formulated without his participation.
Channel 10 reported that it had been informed today, Tuesday, by a senior Fatah official in Ramallah that Abbas had said, “Over my dead body will there be a ceasefire and agreement for calm between the sides.”
The official cited in the report also quoted Abbas as saying that the signing of an agreement without the consent of the PA was “illegal” and constituted “a betrayal.”
Abbas reportedly expressed outrage at Egypt, which is mediating Gaza ceasefire talks, for its readiness to hold talks with Hamas without his presence.
“The Egyptians are not correctly reading the map, and are harming Palestinian national interests. Talks with Hamas, which achieved rule in Gaza through revolution and without agreement and cooperation from the PA, is unacceptable and indicates defiance of the Palestinian leadership,” the official said.
Senior Hamas officials recently claimed that a ceasefire deal with Israel was due to be reached soon, following the Eid al-Adha holiday.
On Monday, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that even if a ceasefire is achieved with Israel, the terrorist organization will continue to "build its capabilities because it has no faith in the Zionist enemy."
"The ceasefire arrangement does not include the construction of a seaport or an airport outside the Palestinian territories - everything published so far on this matter is a lie," he said, according to Channel 10.
He further claimed that "the Zionist enemy has reached the conclusion that the Palestinian resistance cannot be eliminated and Israel will see that it made a grave mistake if the truce with Hamas fails. If a ceasefire is achieved, then we will not delay in working on the lifting of the siege and the lifting of the sanctions on the Gaza Strip."
Hamdan also said that the terrorist organization "wants to obtain a prisoner exchange deal with Israel more than in the past." He added that a prisoner exchange deal would be separate from talks on a truce.
