Hamas says Abbas responsible for Palestinian rifts

Palestinian faction Hamas on Saturday blamed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for Palestinian rifts and delay in implementing reconciliation.

“Abbas is fully responsible for Palestinian divisions and the failure to implement the terms of reconciliation,” Hamas said in a statement.

It called on Abbas to immediately implement the terms of a reconciliation deal it signed with rival Palestinian faction Fatah in April of 2014.

Hamas noted that a speech by Abbas at the Arab summit in Egypt earlier in the day offered no solutions to Palestinian problems.

“The speech did not rise up to the required standard either,” it said.

Addressing the summit earlier in the day, Abbas warned against the establishment of a state in the Gaza Strip.

He said this could happen in case Gaza factions signed a long-term truce with Israel.

“We warn against establishing a state in Gaza and creating self-rule in the West Bank,” Abbas said.

He said by doing this, the Palestinians would forget about the problem of their refugee compatriots, which would at the end eradicate the Palestinian national project altogether.

“I hope the current Arab summit will reject such a plan,” Abbas said.

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in April of 2014, bringing to an end rifts that persisted since 2007.

A government was formed in June of the same year in the light of the deal, but this government has yet to assume control of the Gaza Strip, Hamas’ stronghold.