Musa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Political Bureau of Hamas, expressed his surprise at the "disgraceful stance of our brothers in the Palestinian Authority" in Ramallah, as he described it, while Hezbollah was not spared from criticism, which he considered rare but indicative of disappointment with an ally that has remained at the level of threats with some limited operations on the border. On Sunday, Abu Marzouk stated, "We expected a lot from Hezbollah and our brothers in the West Bank, but we are shocked by the disgraceful position of our brothers in the Authority," adding that "there are some good voices among the Authority officials, but the rest are just making claims."
He mentioned that many "foreigners" informed him that members of the Palestinian Authority and some Arab countries are secretly urging the West to eliminate Hamas. Despite Hezbollah launching limited attacks on military sites and settlements along the northern Israeli border, which the Israeli army responded to forcefully, these actions are still considered insufficient from the perspective of the Palestinians.
Although the party's leaders issue threats to Israel regarding the potential for a large-scale ground attack on Gaza, the on-ground responses remain weak and limited. Observers note that threats from Israel and several Western countries, along with the deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers to the Eastern Mediterranean, have prompted Hezbollah to reconsider its policies, as any significant escalation or large-scale military movement would have ramifications for Lebanon, which is already suffering from economic, financial, and political crises.
Last week, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met with prominent leaders from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad to devise joint steps in light of the escalating war in Gaza and to coordinate their efforts. Reports indicate Palestinian anger in Gaza over the ineffective participation of Hezbollah and Iran in confronting the escalation, leaving Hamas and the Palestinian factions to face the situation alone, with only fiery statements and some skirmishes.
Criticism of the Palestinian Authority by Hamas is also attributed to the negation by its president, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), of the movement and its attack on the settlements surrounding Gaza on October 7. Abbas had stated that Hamas's actions do not represent the Palestinian people, but later retracted this statement and modified the news in a report by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, which sparked significant anger not only in the Gaza Strip but also in the West Bank.
In a reflection of the extent of the division within the Palestinian Authority and Fatah movement, Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki expressed his support for Hamas's attack and the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, facing criticism from within the Palestine Liberation Organization.
