Ignoring Hamas’ atrocities, Abbas attacks Israel for causing “suffering”

In a statement proclaiming the Palestinian Authority’s support and solidarity with Gaza, PA Chairman Abbas promised that the PA will “stand by our people, the Gaza Strip will not be alone.” With these words he pledged PA support to the citizens of Gaza, which will also benefit Hamas’ terror war on Israel.

Completely ignoring the barbaric atrocities committed against Israelis by Hamas terrorists – murder, rape, kidnapping, and mutilation of bodies of dead Israelis - Abbas only condemned Israel's counter attack on the terrorists, calling Israel’s retaliation “a comprehensive act of aggression,” which caused “suffering” to Gazans:

“Our people in the Gaza Strip are being subjected to a comprehensive act of aggression, attacks, and killing by the Israeli occupation forces. This obligates us to give everything that could ease their suffering.”

                                                      [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 9, 2023]

A similar focus was displayed by the PA in its official daily where a headline screamed:

“Hundreds of [Palestinian] Martyrs and thousands of wounded in the occupation’s massacres in various places in the Gaza Strip.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 9, 2023]

The same article in the official PA daily referred to the slaughtered Israeli civilians in the south of Israel as “settlers,” a term used by the PA to imply illegitimacy for all Israeli citizens and therefore worthy of retribution:

“The occupation announces the deaths of 700 settlers (sic.), the wounding of 2,200, and the capture of more than 100” (Sadly, the Israeli casualties have since gone up, see below -Ed.)

On the same note, the official PA news agency WAFA referred to Israeli towns near Gaza as “colonies”:

“From the early morning hours [Oct. 8, 2023], the Israeli occupation army began to evacuate the residents of the coloniesalong the border with the Gaza Strip.”

[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 8, 2023]

Abbas’ sympathy for the Palestinian civilian victims of the current (and past) Gaza wars overlooks the fundamental truth: Hamas started the war by barbarously attacking Israeli civilians in a murder spree. As of the time of writing, Israel counts over 1,200 murdered, over 2,900 wounded and possibly 150 hostages whose condition is unknown.

But in the view of the PA, as Palestinian Media Watch has exposed, even Hamas’ massacre was misrepresented as “self-defense.” This too was stressed by Abbas:

“[Abbas] again emphasized our people’s right to defend itself and its members from the occupation’s aggression.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 9, 2023]

Instead of condemning the slaughter committed by Hamas, Abbas has yet again shown his true face by supporting Hamas. 

As reported by PMW, officials and members of Abbas’ Fatah party also follow this policy, mocking Israel’s supposedly “undefeatable army,” describing it as “weaker than cobwebs”:

The following are longer excerpts of the statements cited above:

Headline: “The [PA] president: We will stand by our people, the Gaza Strip will not be alone”

“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas instructed the [PA] government and the relevant bodies to take immediate action to provide the available means in order to aid our people in the Gaza Strip (refers to the Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.).

The president said: ‘Our people in the Gaza Strip are being subjected to a comprehensive act of aggression, attacks, and killing by the Israeli occupation forces. This obligates us to give everything that could ease their suffering – both on the governmental level and in the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and charity institutions – and this is through a humanitarian aid services organization, urgently.’ …

He emphasized that the Gaza Strip will not remain alone facing this aggression, like the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. He also added that: ‘We hold the Israeli occupation government responsible for stopping basic supplies to our people in the Gaza Strip – water, electric, and food items.’ …

Yesterday evening [Oct. 8, 2023], the president spoke by phone with Fatah Movement Central Committee member and [Fatah] Commissioner of Mobilization and Organization in the Southern Districts (i.e., the Gaza Strip) Ahmed Helles, in order to monitor the situation in the Gaza Strip in the shadow of the continued Israeli aggression and its escalation.

He again emphasized our people’s right to defend itself and its members from the occupation’s aggression, and also the need to provide the medical and humanitarian needs of our people in the Gaza Strip as much as possible.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 9, 2023]

The following was the main headline of the official PA daily -Ed.

Headline: “Hundreds of Martyrs and thousands of wounded in the occupation’s massacres in various places in the Gaza Strip (refers to Israel’s Operation Iron Swords in response to the Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.)

• The occupation announces the deaths of 700 settlers(sic.), the wounding of 2,200, and the capture of more than 100
• The US rushes to send additional military aid to Israel
• The UN is worried in light of difficulties in obtaining food in the Gaza Strip
• The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation quotes American sources, according to whom a ground operation against the Gaza Strip will begin within 24-48 hours”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 9, 2023]

Headline: “The occupation evacuates the residents of the colonies on the Gaza border”

“From the early morning hours [Oct. 8, 2023], the Israeli occupation army began to evacuate the residents of the colonies (sic., Israeli towns) along the border with the Gaza Strip, amid a renewal of its attacks on residential buildings and property (refers to Operation Iron Swords in response to Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.). At the same time, it announced the death of approximately 350 Israelis and the wounding of 1,864 others.

It should be noted that the number of [Palestinian] Martyrs as a result of the occupation’s act of aggression against the Gaza Strip rose to 313, including 20 children, in addition to approximately 1,990 wounded.”

[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 8, 2023]