In a speech delivered on the occasion of International Water Day, Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas sharply criticized Israel, accusing it of being responsible for "a crime of ongoing mass extermination for over a year and a half." Abbas claimed that Israel is taking measures that lead to the "slow death" of the Palestinian Arab people, particularly in the Gaza Strip. He further asserted that Israel is using, in his words, "an additional weapon"—the cessation of basic services, primarily water supply, and the prevention of humanitarian aid from entering. "The occupation seeks to expel our people," Abbas said, "and to implement illegal expansion plans aimed at eliminating the Palestinian issue." Related articles: Palestinian Authority continues to fund terrorist families Mahmoud Abbas's possible successor to be appointed next month 'Trump disavowal of deportation of Gazans is encouraging' Abbas requests US assistance in returning PA to Gaza He added that Israel's current actions in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria bring back to Palestinian consciousness the "Nakba" of 1948 and the "tragedy" of 1967, asserting that "the entire world now understands that the occupation's goal is expulsion and the loss of rights—not security." The PA chairman called on the international community to take "practical and urgent steps" to prevent the continued harm to the civilian population in Gaza and the destruction of infrastructure, with an emphasis on the water supply system.
