PA’s Abbas says he will go to Gaza amid Israeli war

Istanbul (Quds News Network)- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday he will go to the besieged Gaza Strip, adding he will stand by the Palestinian people even if it costs him his life.

Speaking to Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, Abbas decried the “silence of the international community” in the face of atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza as the death toll from Israel’s ongoing genocide war has surpassed 40,000.

Abbas was wearing a white scarf decorated by Turkish and Palestinian flags, as were many of the deputies listening to his speech, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“I have decided to head to the Gaza Strip along with all the brothers from the Palestinian leadership,” Abbas said.

“I will work with all my power so that all of us are standing with our people to stop this barbaric aggression even if that would cost us our life. Our life is not more valuable than that of the smallest child in Gaza.”

It was not clear when or how Abbas would head to Gaza.

“It’s either victory or martyrdom,” Abbas told Turkish lawmakers.

Abbas also called for unity and patience after the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, calling the assassination a “cowardly act”.

A picture of Haniyeh framed by red carnations was seated in one of the front chairs in the parliament as Abbas was delivering the speech.

“Gaza is an integral part of the unified Palestinian state. There will be no state in Gaza alone. The Palestinian people will not be broken and will never surrender,” Abbas said.

“We will rebuild Gaza and heal the wounds of our people with the support of the Arab and Islamic nations and global allies, within the framework of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

The Palestinian president thanked Erdogan for what he called principled and courageous support for the Palestinian people.

He also called for accountability for Israel’s abuses in Gaza, where the Israeli military has displaced nearly the entire population and turned large parts of the territory into rubble.

“The murderers and war criminals will not escape punishment, and we will continue our struggle and fight to achieve justice in Palestine,” he said.

Abbas is based in Ramallah in the West Bank, and Gaza Strip is governed by Hamas, the rival to the Fatah movement. Abbas has not been to Gaza since the Palestinian group took power in 2007.

However, there have been ongoing efforts to bring the two sides together to achieve Palestinian unity.

Last month, Fatah and Hamas representatives met in Beijing for reconciliation talks.