Abbas: PA no longer bound by Oslo accords

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday that Palestine is under occupation and that the PA is no longer bound by the Oslo accords signed with Israel, Anadolu reported.

Speaking at the UN general assembly in New York, Abbas said: “We declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements and that Israel must assume all of its responsibilities as an occupying power because the status quo cannot continue.”

He also warned that “the side that fears international law and the international courts”, referring to Israel, must “stop committing crimes”. He mentioned murder of the Dawabsheh family in West Bank last month, an arson attack perpetrated by Jewish settlers in which all the family members died except a little boy.

“We will start the implementation of this declaration by all peaceful and legal means,” Abbas said. “Either the PA will be the channel of the Palestinian people from occupation to independence, or Israel, the occupying power, must bear all of its responsibilities

However, he said he extends his hand to the Israelis with peace: “I say to our neighbours from the Israeli nation: achieving peace is a common interest for us and you.”

“It is no longer useful to waste time in negotiations for the sake of negotiations; what is required is to mobilise international efforts to oversee an end to the occupation in line with the resolutions of international legitimacy,” he added.

“Until then, I call upon the United Nations to provide international protection for the Palestinian people in accordance with international humanitarian law.” He noted that those who want to fight terror must first solve the Palestinian issue.

Abbas also criticised the United States for vetoing the UN Security Council resolutions in favour of the Palestinians, stressing that the US’s actions undermine efforts to prosecute Israel over its crimes against the Palestinian since 1948.

The Palestinian leader also said that Israel is seeking to impose a new reality through the partitioning of Al-Aqsa Mosque. He said that “extremist Israeli groups” visit Al-Aqsa Mosque under Israeli security protection and called for stopping attempts to change a political conflict into religious one.

According to Abbas, the Palestinian flag was raised at the UN Headquarters, and he expressed his hope that this flag will be raised in Jerusalem very soon.