Abbas in Russia Next Week: Gaza Must Return to Palestinian Authorities

The Russian state news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a diplomatic source, that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Russia from August 12 to 14. The official Russian news agency stated that the assassination of the head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, aims to prolong the conflict in Gaza and will complicate negotiations aimed at resolving the crisis. Abbas stated, "There is no doubt that the goal of Haniyeh's killing is to prolong and widen the war." He added, "It will have a negative impact on the ongoing negotiations to end the aggression and withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza." Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran last week in an attack that sparked threats of retaliation against Israel and raised concerns about the conflict in Gaza escalating into a wider war in the Middle East. Abbas expressed in statements published by the Russian news agency, "We consider this a cowardly act and a serious development in Israeli politics." He continued, "The Israeli occupation authorities must abandon their ambitions, cease their aggressive actions against our people and cause, respect international law, implement the Arab Peace Initiative, and immediately and sustainably stop the fire and withdraw forces from the Gaza Strip." He emphasized that Gaza must return to the control of legitimate Palestinian authorities, considering Israeli plans for temporary control over the strip unacceptable. Abbas mentioned in an interview with the official agency, published in Russian, "Gaza must be managed under the supervision of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the legitimate Palestinian government." He added, "We strongly oppose the Israeli plans that provide some temporary solutions." Abbas pointed out in the interview that he intends to discuss the peace process in the region with Putin. The agency reported him saying, "We constantly exchange views with the President of Russia and consult on all the most important issues to advance the peace process, as well as strengthen bilateral and regional relations. We will do this during our upcoming visit to Russia." Abbas is also expected to visit Turkey, as Ankara announced last week that the Palestinian president is anticipated to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on August 14 and 15.