Palestinian president urges Hamas to lay down arms

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas on Wednesday to lay down arms and hand the running of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority, part of efforts to answer international doubts over the authority’s role at a key moment for the region.

Abbas was speaking at a leadership council where he is expected this week to name a successor amid pressure from Western and Arab powers concerned about the PA’s ability to play a viable-long term role in peace efforts.

While Abbas had previously called on Hamas to put its forces under the PA’s control, he has not done so since the start of the war in Gaza, when the militant group’s gunmen attacked Israel, prompting fierce military retaliation by Israel.

Hamas killed around 1,200 people and seized about 250 hostages in its October 7, 2023 attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 50,000 people, local health authorities say, and left much of Gaza in ruins.

Read more: Reuters