Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank, condemned violence against civilians during the war between Israel and Hamas. Since the beginning of the terrorist attacks on Israeli soil, he had only criticized the Jewish state's response in the Gaza Strip.
Abbas spoke Thursday and condemned violence against civilians on both sides. "We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morality, religion and international law," he said, according to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.
Days before, he had spoken on the phone with Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the UN, whom he asked "to intervene immediately to stop the current Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip."
#ÚLTIMAHORA | El presidente de la Autoridad Palestina, Mahmud Abás, condenó tibiamente el ataque terrorista de Hamás. En su reunión en Jordania con el rey Abdullah II, expresó: "Condenamos el comportamiento relacionado con el asesinato de civiles o el abuso de civiles en ambos… pic.twitter.com/LsVo1p0cTo
— VOZ (@VozMediaUSA) October 12, 2023
In addition, he urged the UN to "fulfill its responsibilities recognized by international legitimacy and guarantee the protection of the Palestinian people."
As of Thursday, Hamas has killed 1,200 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, while another 3,000 people have been wounded. Regarding the number of hostages, the spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Daniel Hagari, announced that more than 97 Israelis are being held by the terrorists. This figure contrasts with the information coming from Hamas terrorists, who claim they have more than 130.
Hagari also assured that Hamas' control in Gaza is being compromised by the actions being taken by Israel. He explained that the terrorist group is "submerged in anarchy and chaos" and that they have to take advantage to "increase their counteroffensives" and reduce their enemies' options.
