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Israel calls Abbas to disarm Hamas and impose his rule on Gaza

June 6, 2014 at 11:54 am

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon demanded Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas disarm Hamas and impose his rule over the Gaza Strip.

Ya’alon said, in a meeting with foreign military attaches yesterday: “The President of the Palestinian Authority must impose his rule over the Gaza Strip and disarm Hamas. If [Abbas] doesn’t disarm Hamas, the reconciliation would be a misrepresentation intended to deceive the world.”

He added that “the Palestinian leadership, which is considered moderate, is ready to recognise Israel’s right to exist as a nation-state of the Jewish people.”

The Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya said, in remarks quoted by Al-Aqsa TV this week, that “Hamas is ongoing with its resistance and reconciliation is a strategic step to fortify the Palestinian front in the face of the Israeli occupation.”

In a statement on the Voice of Palestine, Fatah leader Azzam Al-Ahmad said that “reconciliation is an internal Palestinian affair; Israel is not entitled to interfere with it.”

The Palestinian national unity government headed by Rami Hamdallah was sworn in on Monday in front of President Abbas, in the presidential headquarters in Ramallahs. The unity government ends nearly seven years of division between Fatah and Hamas. There are now plans for legislative, presidential and national assembly elections.

In response to this Israel announced the suspension of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, saying Tel Aviv views Hamas as a “terrorist movement.”