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In the Thursday address, Abbas emphasised that the Palestinian people will stand tall and not accept a solution that keeps Gaza and the West Bank divided, as they have been since 2007 read more
 "PA President Abbas tells Turkish parliament he will visit Gaza even if 'it costs his life'")
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech at Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on August 15, 2024. AFP
While addressing the Turkish parliament, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that he would travel to Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, even if the trip “puts his life at risk”. The PA leader is visiting Turkey to hold talks with the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the Gaza crisis.
“I have decided to go to Gaza with other brothers from the Palestinian leadership,” Abbas said in his address on Saturday. The proclamation from the Palestinian leader was applauded by Turkish lawmakers. “I will do that. Even if this would cost my life. Our life is not more worthy than the life of a child,” he added.
Abbas’ visit to Turkey came after his trip to Moscow where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the Thursday address, Abbas emphasised that the Palestinian people will stand tall and not accept a solution that keeps Gaza and the West Bank divided, as they have been since 2007.
“Gaza is ours as a whole. We don’t accept any solution that would divide our territories," he told the Parliament. “There cannot be a Palestinian state without Gaza. Our people will not surrender," he added.
What was Abbas doing in Turkey?
On Wednesday, the Palestinian leader in the West Bank held talks with Erdogan over the ongoing war. Erdogan’s office said late Wednesday that the two discussed “the massacres committed by Israel in Palestinian territories” and “the steps that need to be taken for a permanent cease-fire and peace” at the presidential palace in Ankara.
Abbas’s visit to both Turkey and Russia came as the threat of Iranian retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh fueled concerns about the war spillover across the Middle East. Abbas, who is based in Ramallah in the West Bank, is president of the Palestinian Authority, which has largely been sidelined since the October 7 attack which led to the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
It is important to note that the Palestinian lawmaker is the chair of the Fatah party, which has a long-running rift with Hamas. Back in 2006, Hamas engaged in violent confrontations with Fatah fighters after the former won the elections.
With inputs from agencies.
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