Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has triggered a wave of backlash and public anger following his recent verbal attack on the Palestinian resistance in Gaza—particularly targeting the Hamas movement.
The remarks came during the opening session of the 32nd Palestinian Central Council, where Abbas controversially called for the immediate handover of Israeli prisoners held by the resistance. His language, which included crude and inappropriate expressions, was widely condemned online. Al Jazeera Net withheld some of the quoted terms due to their offensive nature.
“Just hand them over and get it over with,” Abbas said, igniting accusations of publicly insulting the Palestinian resistance, at a time when Israeli aggression on Gaza continues and Palestinians call for international pressure on the occupying force.
Social media platforms were quickly flooded with denunciations from activists and commentators, who expressed deep disappointment and anger at Abbas’s statements. Many perceived his words as echoing Israeli talking points rather than addressing the suffering of Palestinians enduring blockade, airstrikes, and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
One user wrote, “No Palestinian is proud to call him President. Instead of condemning the enemy, who’s actively sabotaging the prisoner deal, he attacks Hamas with gutter-level insults. He’s only serving the occupation.”
Another added, “Mahmoud Abbas is part of the reason Palestinian rights are being squandered. His leadership has enabled Israeli dominance over our land. He’s unfit to represent our cause. Ending the occupation begins with ending his rule.”
Many activists criticised the tone and content of Abbas’s speech, labelling it “vulgar and unbefitting of a national leader.” Several pointed to the double standards in Abbas’s discourse—condemning Gaza’s resistance while remaining silent on ongoing Israeli atrocities in the West Bank, including home demolitions, settler violence, and assaults on sacred sites such as Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Ibrahimi Mosque.
One commenter asked, “Why speak about Gaza while the West Bank is under daily attack by settlers? Where are you and your security apparatus from all this? Instead of defending our people, you lash out at Gaza and the resistance.”
The incident has further widened the rift between the Palestinian Authority and resistance factions in Gaza, highlighting a deepening political and national crisis as Palestinians face existential threats both from occupation and internal disunity.
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