GENEVA, May 23, 2025 (WAFA) — President Mahmoud Abbas met on Friday with delegations from Lebanese grassroots and political organizations, including representatives of the Leftist Secular Democratic Action Organization, as part of a series of meetings focused on regional solidarity and the situation in Palestine.
During the meetings, President Abbas updated the delegations on the worsening conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, where the ongoing Israeli genocidal war has resulted in the killing of thousands of civilians, including women and children, and the imposition of a devastating blockade and widespread hunger.
“The immediate priority is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, allow the entry of humanitarian and medical aid, and ensure the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces,” he stated. The President stressed the need for the State of Palestine to assume its civil and security responsibilities in Gaza and emphasized halting Israeli aggression in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as part of a broader political process.
In addressing the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, President Abbas reiterated that the Palestinian presence in the country is temporary, pending their right of return. He affirmed that the refugee camps fall under the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and military.
"The existence of weapons in the camps outside the framework of the state weakens Lebanon and harms the Palestinian cause as well," he said. "We fully support Lebanon in upholding its international obligations and preserving its security, stability, and sovereignty across its territory."
President Abbas expressed appreciation for the longstanding fraternal ties between Palestine and Lebanon, and for the positions of solidarity expressed by Lebanese political and civil society actors.
He reaffirmed his commitment to deepening these ties in support of the Palestinian struggle for freedom, independence, and the establishment of a sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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