Palestinian president calls for peace summit to end Israel-Hamas war
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for an international peace summit to end the violence between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking at a conference in Cairo on Saturday, Abbas reiterated his “complete rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides.” He also urged the “release of all civilians, prisoners, and detainees,” likely alluding to some 210 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Abbas leads the Palestinian Authority, a government exercising semi-autonomous control in the West Bank. The government is deeply loathed among Palestinians, who view it as corrupt and collaborationist with Israel.
Hamas, which the State Department designates a terrorist group, seized control of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip in 2007 and is widely supported in the West Bank.
Other Arab leaders spoke at the Cairo conference, calling for more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and condemning Israel's bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
Jordan's King Abdullah accused Israel of committing war crimes by targeting civilian infrastructure. Israel has said Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields and that anywhere where rockets are being launched is a legitimate military target.
The office of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi said the international response to Israel's "killing of innocent people" has fallen short.
“While we see one place officials rushing and competing to promptly condemn the killing of innocent people, we find incomprehensible hesitation in denouncing the same act in another place,” it said in reference to fierce Western condemnation of Hamas’ attack on Israel and a weaker reaction to Palestinian suffering.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
Posted by Chris Pandolfo
