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Hamas warns PA that inattention to Gaza undermines Palestinian unity government

June 30, 2014 at 1:46 pm

Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk warned on Sunday that if the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to ignore the Gaza Strip, this could push his movement to reclaim the territory in order to protect its people and maintain national security.

In a statement on Facebook, Abu Marzouk challenged the PA and Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas, who had promised to lift the siege of Gaza and end the other problems caused by the 2007 division as soon as reconciliation was reached and Hamas conceded control over Gaza.

As this has not happened, Abu Marzouk expressed concern that Gaza is now entering a precarious stage. “I’m afraid that Hamas will be forced to reassume control of Gaza since the Strip cannot exist in a vacuum. It is currently not under the jurisdiction of the previous government nor [under] the national unity government,” Israel’s Haaretz newspaper quoted him as saying.

Abu Marzouk also criticised the continuing siege, remarking that the PA in Ramallah “was a party to the siege of Gaza, and now that we reached an agreement, why does the siege continue? Who is responsible for opening the Rafah crossing and for providing electricity and ending the siege?”

The Hamas official, who represented his movement in the reconciliation discussions with Fatah and the PA, slammed Abbas for not visiting the Strip. “He has gone everywhere. Why not Gaza?”

Abu-Marzouq added: “The reconciliation government and Abbas are acting as if the only place for the PA is the West Bank and there is no need for Gaza. The unity of the people and the Palestinian cause has a low price for them. Does this mean they tore up the reconciliation pact?”

One month after the formation of the Palestinian unity government, ministers in Ramallah have still not contacted their offices in Gaza, the government has not paid any salaries for civil servants in Gaza, the issue of the Israeli siege has been ignored and the border crossings are still closed.

Directly addressing Abbas and his policy of security cooperation with Israel, Abu-Marzouq said: “You gave respect to your enemy when the three settlers were kidnapped. What about the more than 500 Palestinians who have been arrested and the five killed since then?”