Palestinian Authority’s Abbas Calls Hamas Exit Gaza, Arms Transfer Security Forces

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for Hamas to cease ruling Gaza, immediately disarm, and release all hostages, urging that weapons be handed over to the Palestinian Security Forces. In a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who are co-chairing a UN conference on the two-state solution, Abbas emphasized the need for national unity and proposed deploying Arab and international peacekeeping forces under a UN Security Council mandate to stabilize the region. He condemned Hamas's October 7 attack as unacceptable and reiterated his commitment to reform the Palestinian Authority, including plans for presidential and general elections within a year under international supervision. Abbas expressed readiness to finalize a peace agreement with international guarantees, aiming to end Israeli occupation and address final status issues. Macron welcomed these concrete commitments, seeing them as a genuine step toward implementing the two-state solution. Abbas's stance reflects a significant shift in Palestinian politics, seeking to replace Hamas governance with Palestinian Authority control to restore security and advance peace efforts.