Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding the halt of Israeli attacks and the start of discussions on implementing his plan to end the war.
In a statement describing Hamas’ response as “positive” and praising the terror group’s professed willingness to release all hostages, Abbas noted Trump’s “tremendous” efforts to end the war in Gaza and achieve long-lasting peace, thanking the Arab and Muslim countries for their efforts on the matter as well.
He also said that the “State of Palestine” is prepared to work constructively with President Trump and other international actors to achieve a “just and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy.”
According to Abbas, the Palestinian Authority’s top priorities are achieving a full ceasefire, securing the release of all hostages and security prisoners, ensuring the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid through UN institutions, preventing the displacement of Palestinians or any annexation of territory by Israel, and beginning the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Abbas emphasized that “sovereignty over the Gaza Strip belongs to the State of Palestine, and that the connection between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip must be managed through Palestinian laws and governmental institutions, a Palestinian administrative committee, and a unified security force under one law and order, with Arab and international support.”
He called on the international community to force Israel to cease all “unilateral actions” that, he claimed, violate international law — including settlement activity, “settler violence,” attacks on holy sites, and the withholding of Palestinian Authority tax revenues for the purposes of paying the PA’s debts and compensation to terror victims.
“The sovereign Palestinian state is the natural partner for regional stability alongside the State of Israel,” Abbas said, adding, “The time has come for a lasting peace that ensures security and justice for all peoples of the region.”
