Mahmoud Abbas Oaths Against Israel's Plan To Separate Gaza From Palestine

Gaza DOK via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed Israel would not be allowed to separate Gaza from other Palestinian territories.

"We will not allow the occupational plan (force) to separate Gaza from other Palestinian territories, or annex any part of the region," Abbas said at a meeting at the Presidential Headquarters in Ramallah.

In a meeting also attended by members of the Central Committee of the Fatah movement and several members of the Revolutionary Council, Abbas emphasized the unitation of Palestinian soil in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian State.

The Palestinian state will not leave its people in Gaza. We will share livelihoods, salaries, and allowances in Gaza and the West Bank," he said.

Abbas reiterated the unshakable Palestinian political stance on the need for an immediate ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, and the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to the trapped territory.

He stressed the importance of preventing the transfer of Palestinians from their land, given the trauma of Nakba's history in 1948 and the lasting impacts that have befallen the Palestinian people for decades since."

He highlighted the importance of ongoing efforts with international partners and regional allies to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression and provide comprehensive assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza, including returning them to homes that have been destroyed by Israeli occupation forces.

Abbas also said Israel's actions by cutting tax revenue would not prevent the Palestinian state from fulfilling its responsibilities against the Gaza people.

Tax revenue, known in Palestine and Israel as maqasa, was amassed by the Israeli government on behalf of the Palestinian Authority for imports and exports of Palestinians.

In return, Israel received a commission of 3 percent of every Palestinian import and export activity.