Hamas slams PA's Abbas unilateral PLO council decision
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Hamas denounces Mahmoud Abbas’ plan to restructure the Palestinian National Council, calling it a unilateral move that violates national agreements.
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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, right, welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before their meeting at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, May 22, 2025 (AP)
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, expressed "deep concern" over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' announcement that he intends to restructure the Palestinian National Council before the end of this year. The group denounced the decision as "unilateral and lacking any form of national consensus," in clear violation of previous national agreements.
In an official statement by Houssam Badran, head of Hamas' National Relations Office and member of the political bureau, the movement warned that Abbas' move represents "a serious breach of the Palestinian national will" and directly contravenes the Cairo, Algiers, Moscow, and Beijing agreements.
These accords, Hamas stressed, called for the democratic reconstruction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) with the inclusive participation of all national forces and factions to ensure authentic representation of Palestinians both at home and abroad.
Hamas opposes unilateralism
The statement went on to warn that the leadership’s continued pursuit of unilateral decisions risks deepening internal division and weakening the Palestinian position in confronting the Israeli occupation, particularly amid the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, the intensifying attacks across the West Bank, and ongoing Judaization schemes targeting al-Quds.
Hamas reiterated its categorical rejection of this exclusionary approach and called for an immediate halt to any unilateral steps. It urged a return to the implementation of national dialogue agreements, especially those concerning the restructuring of the PLO based on a partnership framework.
The statement concluded by calling on the Palestinian people and factions to reject exclusionary politics, embrace unity and shared responsibility, and work collectively to safeguard the national project and realize the aspirations of the Palestinian people for freedom, return, and independence.
Hamas urges unity
Hamas affirmed in April that the Palestinian Central Council’s meeting in Ramallah, held at this critical juncture, could represent a genuine opportunity to forge a unified national stance in the face of ongoing genocide.
In a statement, Hamas noted that "the meeting came a year and a half after the outbreak of the war and was held in a partial format that neither reflects national consensus nor includes all components of the [Palestinian] people."
The group called for the meeting "to rise to the level of the Palestinian people’s sacrifices" by adopting responsible decisions to stop the war and restore a unified national position.
Demands to end security coordination and escalate resistance
It also urged the activation of previous Central Council resolutions, foremost among them ending security coordination with the Israeli occupation, severing ties with "Israel", and "intensifying resistance against the occupation and its Judaization and settlement projects aimed at turning the West Bank into fragmented, non-sovereign cantons."
The statement further called on members of the Central Council to assume their national responsibilities, reject the imposed guardianship over Palestinian political life, and take serious steps to revitalize and rebuild the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on the basis of genuine partnership and representation.
Hamas also urged the activation of legal proceedings in international courts to prosecute the Israeli occupation for its crimes.
