Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today urged Hamas to reach a cease-fire and prisoner swap deal with Israel to “avoid the dire consequences.”
According to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, Abbas said that Hamas needed to seal a deal quickly to stop “another catastrophe with ominous consequences, no less dangerous than the Nakba of 1948, and to avoid the occupation’s attack on the city of Rafah, which will lead to thousands of victims, suffering and displacement for our people.”
Nakba is the Arabic word for “catastrophe” that many use to describe the 1948 displacement of roughly 700,000 Palestinians who were expelled from their land in what became Israel.
Abbas said that while Israel was waging open war in Gaza, everyone involved in the conflict was responsible for working toward peace. “Therefore, we must bear our responsibilities in stopping this comprehensive war on Palestinian people,” he said.
LINK: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rafah-gaza-offensive-rcna138759/rcrd34040?canonicalCard=true
