Abbas says Israel insists on continuing attacks on Gaza Strip to 'impose displacement'

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that Israel insists on continuing its attacks on the Gaza Strip to "impose displacement," especially on the city of Rafah.

A meeting of the Palestinian government was held in Ramallah, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

In his opening speech, Abbas said it was held to discuss the conditions faced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank due to the attacks Israel has been carrying out for months.

"The Israeli government and its army are continuing their attacks on various cities in the Gaza Strip, especially Rafah, with the aim of forcibly displacing citizens. We will not accept this, and neither will our brothers, nor the world," he said.

He emphasized that the situation in Rafah has become "extremely dangerous and difficult," requiring the Palestinian government to act swiftly.

He added that they had gathered to discuss the issue in order to prevent further Israeli attacks and to stop Israel from expelling Palestinians from their land and country.

On internal Palestinian affairs, Abbas emphasized that efforts are continuing to strengthen national unity under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is the "sole legitimate representative" of the Palestinian people.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas. The ensuing Israeli attacks have killed nearly 29,000 and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.