Portrait of Mahmoud Abbas
Politician · organisation
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Mahmoud Abbas on Gaza

Rejects Hamas role in Gaza (strong)

TL;DR

Mahmoud Abbas strongly rejects any future role for Hamas in the governance of Gaza following the current conflict.

Key Points

  • He declared Israel’s actions in Gaza to be a “war crime and a crime against humanity” during a UN address on September 25, 2025.

  • He condemned the October 7, 2023, attack carried out by Hamas, stating those actions do not represent the Palestinian people.

  • He affirmed that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to assume full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza under the principle of “one state, one law and one legal security force.”

Summary

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, has consistently framed Israel's military actions in Gaza as a “war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement” against the Palestinian people. He has decried the scale of destruction, noting that over 220,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured over the nearly two-year conflict and that much of the infrastructure is gone. He insists that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine and that the Palestinian Authority is ready to assume full responsibility for its governance and security there.

Crucially, he has firmly rejected the role of his rival faction, Hamas, in any postwar settlement, stating that the group will have no role in governance and must hand over its weapons to the national authority. He specifically condemned the actions of Hamas on October 7, 2023, asserting they do not represent the Palestinian people or their just struggle. This stance aligns with key conditions from Israel and the United States, positioning his authority as the only legitimate governing entity for the territory going forward, emphasizing a need for "one state, one law and one legal security force."

Key Quotes

I speak to you today after almost two years in which our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement

It is a war crime and a crime against humanity that is both documented and monitored, and it will be recorded in history books and the pages of international conscience as one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the 20th and 21st centuries

Frequently Asked Questions

Mahmoud Abbas is adamantly against Hamas having any role in the future governance of the Gaza Strip. He has publicly stated that Hamas must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority as part of any state-building process. He views the group's actions on October 7, 2023, as not representative of the Palestinian struggle.

The Palestinian Authority president described the Israeli military campaign in Gaza as a “war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement.” He has demanded an immediate and permanent end to the war and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid. He is ready for his government to take over security and administration in the territory.

His core position has solidified: the Palestinian Authority must govern Gaza, while Hamas must disarm and step aside, which he has vocally maintained. He has also expressed readiness to work with international partners like the US, France, and the UN to implement a peace plan for the territory.