Mahmoud Abbas: Hamas Will Play No Role in Future Palestinian Governance
In a significant address to the global community, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas explicitly declared that the Hamas movement will cease to have any influence over the future governance of Palestine.
Abbas’s statement came via video link after he was unable to participate in person at the UN headquarters due to the United States denying him a visa.
During his speech, he outlined key principles for the post-conflict arrangement in Gaza, emphasizing that the primary condition must be the complete demilitarization and removal of Hamas from power.
“Hamas and other armed groups must surrender their weapons and hand them over to the Palestinian Authority,” he stated.
He further expressed aspirations for establishing a unified state without weapons, governed by the rule of law and legitimate security institutions.
Abbas condemned the occupation’s crimes, including the killing and detention of civilians, and explicitly denounced Hamas’s actions on October 7, 2023.
Concluding his address, he committed to implementing reforms and conducting democratic elections within a year of a declared ceasefire, under international supervision to ensure transparency and legitimacy.
The backdrop to these statements includes a high-level international peace conference where UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that stripping Palestinians of their right to a sovereign state would foster radicalization globally.
Meanwhile, Israel’s UN ambassador Dani Danon declared that the Gaza conflict would continue until all hostages are freed and Hamas is entirely dismantled.