RIYADH, Sunday, April 28, 2024 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas expressed today his concerns that the Israeli occupation might resort to expelling Palestinians from the West Bank after the conclusion of its ongoing aggression on Gaza, affirming that the Palestinian people and leadership will never allow this move to pass.
During his address at the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Abbas emphasized that Jordan and Egypt have vehemently rejected the displacement of Palestinians from their homeland to their territories.
He asserted that a political solution must be reached to unite Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, in an independent Palestinian state through an international conference.
The President reiterated his demand for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the immediate entry of essential food and supplies to citizens throughout the territory.
President Abbas reaffirmed that "Palestinians will never accept the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, their homeland, and will not allow a repetition of the tragedies of 1948 and 1967."
He warned once again of "an imminent Israeli attack on the city of Rafah, currently home to 2.2 million Palestinians, which would constitute a new catastrophe for the Palestinian people."
President Abbas called for pressure on Israel to stop its imminent invasion of Rafah, particularly from the United States, as the only country capable of preventing it from committing this crime.
"The situation in Gaza is extremely unfortunate," the President told the conference. "Over 200 days have passed, during which Israel exploited the opportunity to attack the Palestinian people under the pretext of revenge against Hamas, but in reality, it was exacting revenge on the entire Palestinian population."
He stated that Israel had killed more than 34,000 civilians, mostly children, women, and the elderly, and injured 75,000, in addition to destroying 75% of buildings, institutions, roads, mosques, and universities in the Gaza Strip.
President Abbas urged countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so immediately, as they did with Israel, as a prerequisite for future negotiations with Israel on borders and other matters.
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