Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmod Abbas on Sunday condemned on Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel, nine days after the deadly attacks which have so far killed more than 1,300 Israelis.
In a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Abbas said the actions and policies of Hamas “do not represent Palestinian people”, reported the PA’s WAFA news agency.
Abbas also called the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," WAFA said.
The PA chairman also said he rejected “the killing of civilians on both sides” and called the release of civilians, prisoners and detainees on both sides.
“He reaffirmed the rejection of violence, commitment to international legitimacy and signed agreements, peaceful popular resistance and political action as a path to achieving our national goals, stressing the necessity of seeking a political solution that ends the occupation,” Abbas was quoted as having told Maduro.
The comments are the second time that Abbas has condemned Hamas, though his first condemnation, which came in a phone call with US President Joe Biden earlier on Sunday, was weaker than the second one.
According to Hebrew-language reports on the conversation between Abbas and Biden, the PA chairman condemned the Hamas massacre, though he stopped short of issuing an absolute condemnation of Hamas' act of genocide.
The PA chairman has been criticized for only commenting on the right of the Palestinian Arabs to "resist" Israel in the wake of the massacre instead of condemning his political rivals for their crimes against humanity.