Palestinian faction condemns Abbas' demand to tighten siege on Gaza

The Palestinian Al-Ahrar Movement has condemned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s demand that the Egyptian authorities completely close the food tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

The movement accused Abbas of taking part in the plot to starve the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

According to a statement issued by the movement on Saturday, “Abbas’ demand opposes all values and discharges him of all national responsibilities as he oversteps borders by promoting the tightening of the siege that is killing the people in Gaza.”

The statement attributed the reason behind Abbas’ demand to his efforts to force “the people in Gaza to bow down” so that “he will be able to extend his control over them more easily.”

It also denounced his pride in the security cooperation between “his” security forces in the West Bank and the Israeli occupation, saying that the Palestinian Authority’s security services “offer a free service to the Israeli occupation”. The statement added that, “this harms Palestinian interests.”

Meanwhile, Al-Ahrar also called on all the Palestinian factions to join together to demand that the Egyptian authorities completely open the Rafah Crossing as it is the “sole lung which brings fresh air” to the Strip’s besieged residents.

In his last visit to Cairo, Abbas asked the current Egyptian authorities to completely close the tunnels with Gaza and to severe diplomatic relations with its government.