Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah movement has urged Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, emphasizing the need to protect the Palestinian people amid escalating conflict.
“Hamas must show compassion for Gaza, its children, women, and men,” said Fatah spokesman Monther Al-Hayek, as reported by AFP. He urged Hamas to “step aside from governing and fully recognize that the battle ahead will lead to the end of Palestinians’ existence” if it remains in power in Gaza.
Fatah-Hamas Unity Agreement
Despite their longstanding rivalry, Fatah and Hamas signed a national unity agreement in China last year, laying the groundwork for a joint interim government to rule post-war Gaza. The two factions have been at odds since 2006, when Hamas took control of Gaza after a violent conflict with Fatah. While Hamas governs Gaza, Fatah leads the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and advocates for a negotiated Palestinian state.
Escalating Israeli Offensive
Fatah’s statement comes as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Gaza, following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, 504 people have died since the war resumed.
On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning, stating that Israel would annex parts of Gaza unless Hamas agreed to release Israeli hostages.
“I ordered the IDF to seize more territory in Gaza,” Katz declared. “The more Hamas sticks to its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it would lose, territory which would be annexed to Israel.”
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The renewed offensive has severely worsened humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Australian doctor Mohammed Mustafa, currently working in Gaza, described the situation as “catastrophic.”
“We have little to no medicine. We have little to no antibiotics left,” he told DW. “We are really lacking in resources, medical equipment, and even basic things like blood pressure cuffs, monitoring people’s oxygen levels, and even oxygen cylinders.”
