Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday accused the Israeli government of facilitating the delivery of money to the Gaza Strip to help Hamas stay in power.
Abbas, who was speaking during a meeting of the PA leadership in Ramallah, said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was assisting the delivery of the funds to Hamas also to prevent reconciliation between the Gaza-based movement and his Fatah faction.“Netanyahu personally takes the money and gives it to Hamas,” Abbas said, referring to the Qatari cash grants that were delivered to the Gaza Strip in the past few weeks. “Netanyahu is doing this personally. What does this mean? Then he sends [to the West Bank] weapons, equipment and money. We have laid our hands on 90% of what was sent to us [by Hamas.] The remaining 10% went to the last [terrorist] attacks which took place here. Hamas has admitted that it was behind these attacks, and Israel has admitted that Hamas was behind them.”The PA knows that Hamas was behind these attacks, Abbas added.“They [Israel] give Hamas the money, and we pay the price,” he said.Abbas said that Israel was in a state of “confusion” and suffering from isolation because of its measures against the Palestinians.He also reiterated the Palestinians’ refusal to conduct any negotiations with the US administration and rejection of US President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-announced plan for peace in the Middle East, dubbing it the “slap of the century.” The US administration, he said, is not an honest broker.Abbas said that all attempts to “tamper” with the security of the Palestinians won’t stop them from thwarting Trump’s purported peace plan.
Abbas: Netanyahu gives Hamas money and we pay the price when they attack
The PA knows that Hamas was behind these attacks, Abbas added. "They [Israel] give Hamas the money, and we pay the price," Abbas said.
