Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called on Hamas to release all hostages in Gaza, warning that their detention gives Israel justification for continued attacks.
His statement came as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 25 people across the besieged enclave, with rescue teams recovering charred bodies from the rubble.
Abbas, speaking in Ramallah, denounced Hamas for holding hostages and said the Palestinian people, not Israel, are paying the ultimate price for the group’s actions.
“You sons of dogs, hand over what you have and get us out of this,” Abbas said, using a harsh Arabic epithet aimed at Hamas.
Hamas official Bassem Naim condemned the remarks as “insulting,” accusing Abbas of deflecting blame from Israel’s military aggression in Gaza.
The Israeli offensive resumed on March 18, ending a temporary ceasefire that had allowed for the release of 33 hostages in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
Talks on a renewed truce remain stalled, although a Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Meanwhile, Germany, France, and Britain jointly called on Israel to lift its blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza, warning of catastrophic civilian suffering.
The deep rift between Abbas’s Fatah movement and Hamas continues to fracture Palestinian leadership, complicating efforts for unity and peace.
For nearly two decades, the factions have traded accusations—Fatah blaming Hamas for internal division, and Hamas accusing the Palestinian Authority of collusion with Israel.