‘Unprecedented Commitments’: France Claims PA President Mahmoud Abbas Agrees That Hamas Will No Longer Rule Gaza

Latest Developments

Abbas Condemns October 7 Massacre: Ahead of a June 17-20 UN summit on Palestinian statehood convened by France and Saudi Arabia, the French foreign ministry announced that it had received a letter from the Palestinian Authority (PA) outlining “concrete and unprecedented commitments” to bring peace and stability. A letter from PA President Mahmoud Abbas to French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel and called for the Iran-backed terrorist group to “immediately release all hostages and captives.”
Hamas Will Not Rule Gaza: Abbas promised that “Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian security forces” who, with Arab and international support, would oversee the terrorist group’s removal from Gaza. Abbas also pledged to hold elections, which have not taken place since 2006. Contrasting with the sentiments reportedly expressed in the letter, Abbas recently stated that Hamas’s massacre achieved “important goals” and “shook the foundations of the Israeli entity.”
Hamas-Fatah Split: Hamas wrested control of Gaza in 2007 after a bloody civil war against the PA’s Fatah-led government, followed by several failed attempts to achieve unity. Despite this discord, France is said to be pushing for international recognition of a Palestinian state. The United States warned on June 11 that such recognition would add “significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies.”

FDD Expert Response

“Buyer beware, France. When it comes to promises and rhetoric, the PA has a checkered record. Under Abbas, the PA consistently struggled to govern effectively. The PA’s struggles against entities that undermine it have been clear to see over the last four years as Israel has been the main force countering Iran-backed terrorist groups in the northern West Bank. Even with Hamas currently at its weakest point since its founding, it remains highly doubtful that the PA possesses the capability or the will to disarm and suppress its rival.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Despite its condemnations of the October 7 attack and Hamas’s refusal to release hostages, individuals within the PA’s bureaucratic and security system are implicated in terrorist activity against Israel, publicly spew anti-Israel rhetoric, and celebrate individuals who commit acts of terror against Israel. Expecting such a group to reform itself is like asking a leopard to change its spots.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst