By Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi
RAMALLAH (Reuters) -Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas on Wednesday to lay down arms and hand the running of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority, part of efforts to answer international doubts over the authority’s role at a key moment for the region.
Abbas was speaking at a leadership council where he is expected this week to name a successor amid pressure from Western and Arab powers concerned about the PA’s ability to play a viable-long term role in peace efforts.
While Abbas had previously called on Hamas to put its forces under the PA’s control, he has not done so since the start of the war in Gaza, when the militant group’s gunmen attacked Israel, prompting fierce military retaliation by Israel.
Hamas killed around 1,200 people and seized about 250 hostages in its October 7, 2023 attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 50,000 people, local health authorities say, and left much of Gaza in ruins.
Diplomatic efforts to craft a plan for Gaza’s future have focused on pushing aside Hamas but Israel has also said it will not accept any role for the PA, which exercises limited autonomy in the West Bank.
“Hamas must hand over (its) Gaza responsibilities and hand over its arms to the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority and transform into a political party,” said Abbas.
Hamas, which ousted the PA from Gaza during a brief civil war in 2007, has refused calls in recent months by Israel and the United States to lay down its arms.
PRESSURE TO NAME A SUCCESSOR
Abbas was speaking to the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which holds observer status at the United Nations as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and dominates the PA.
Abbas, 89, took over the Palestinian leadership after the death of veteran PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 2004. He has for years resisted naming a deputy or successor but the war in Gaza has intensified pressure for him to do so.
Last month, Arab states proposed a post-war plan for Gaza to be temporarily run by a committee before being returned to the PA’s control. The United States, European Union and Gulf monarchies expected to play a role in financing any post-war reconstruction of Gaza have repeatedly urged PA reform.
Abbas has criticised the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which he said gave Israel a pretext to destroy Gaza. Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack.
(Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Angus McDowall, Editing by Peter Graff and Timothy Heritage)
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