Palestinian President Declares Intent to Visit Gaza ‘Regardless of Life or Death’
President Mahmoud Abbas has announced his determination to lead a delegation of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip, despite potential threats to his life.
“I have decided to go to the Gaza Strip along with my fellow Palestinian leaders. I will do this, even if it costs me my life,” President Abbas stated on August 15th while addressing the Turkish parliament. “Our lives are no more valuable than the life of a single child.”
Abbas, the leader of the Fatah movement in the West Bank, has not visited Gaza since 2007, the year Hamas took control of the territory. In 2017, when Hamas and Fatah made attempts to reconcile, Abbas expressed intentions to visit Gaza, though the visit never materialized.
Israel controls all border crossings into Gaza, making it difficult for Abbas to enter the region without coordination or approval from Tel Aviv. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eradicate Hamas in the ongoing military campaign in Gaza but has refused to hand over control of the area to the Palestinian Authority after the conflict.
“Gaza is ours,” Abbas declared. “We will not accept any solution that divides our territory. There can be no Palestinian state without Gaza. Our people will not surrender.
In October 2023, Abbas told officials from U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration that he would “not return to Gaza riding an Israeli tank” and would only agree to assume control of the area under a broader autonomy agreement.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly criticized Israel’s campaign in Gaza following the Hamas attack in early October 2023. Abbas praised Erdogan’s “courageous stance” and condemned the “international community’s indifference” to Israel’s actions.
President Abbas also affirmed that the Palestinian people would not be subdued by Israel’s airstrikes. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 people in the area.
