Abbas calls on Hamas: Give up hostages and weapons!”

Abbas calls on Hamas: Give up hostages and weapons!”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today called on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages. The appeal comes amid an ongoing conflict that has escalated since the ceasefire was broken on March 18. According to Palestinian figures, more than 1,600 people were killed during this time. Abbas emphasizes that the Palestinian people are paying the price for Hamas' actions, not Israel. He also criticizes the fact that the Hamas hostages are used as a pretext for Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip.

“Hamas should hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority and transform itself into a political party,” said Abbas. The statement is not the first time he has addressed the division between the two rival Palestinian groups, Fatah and Hamas, which has existed since open conflict in 2007 when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. Abbas has been president of the autonomous authority since 2005 and a central figure in the Fatah party, which continues to play a dominant role in the West Bank.

Videos and families in pain

Hamas did not respond to the demand, but released a video of a kidnapped Israeli. In this video, the man's family asks for help, which illustrates the emotional strain on the relatives. The family, especially Omri's relatives, say their hearts are broken and that they did not initially agree to the distribution of the video.

Abbas' appeal comes on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, making the situation even more precarious. The President describes the current situation as a moral failure for the State of Israel. According to Israeli information, 24 hostages and 35 bodies of those abducted are still being held in the Gaza Strip, further inflaming tensions.

The context of the conflict

The ongoing conflict has historical roots dating back to the 19th century and touches on the collective trauma of Palestinian society, which describes the flight and expulsion of Palestinians in 1948. The war in Gaza is the result of years of tensions that reached a new height in 2023 with Hamas atrocities in which around 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. These events were perceived by many Jewish Israelis as a pogrom and touch on the collective trauma of Jewish persecution during the Holocaust.

The Israeli government has since pursued a determined course to destroy Hamas' military capabilities and free the hostages. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated dramatically; many areas are now uninhabitable. By May 2024, around 36,000 Palestinian deaths and well over 80,000 wounded had been counted, with a high proportion of civilians.

In this context, the international community, including the US, EU and Arab countries, remains active in diplomatic efforts for de-escalation and humanitarian improvement in the Gaza Strip. But the reality on the ground suggests that an early resolution to the conflict remains a long way off, while Abbas's appeal for peace and unity among Palestinians continues to resonate.

Further developments in this tense situation remain to be seen. The complexity and deep wounds left by the conflict continue to make a path to peace and reconciliation difficult.

For more information on the background to the conflict, please read crown and the Federal Agency for Civic Education.