Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Warns of Existential Threats, Urges Unified Arab Plan to End Gaza Conflict

During the 34th session of the Arab League Summit held in Baghdad on Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a "serious undermining of efforts to establish a Palestinian state," and issued a call for a unified Arab initiative to end the war and restore governance in the besieged territory.

Speaking from the summit hosted in the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone, Abbas emphasized that the Palestinian cause is currently facing “existential threats.” He appealed for Arab countries to adopt a collective strategy aimed at halting the Israeli offensive on Gaza and restoring stability.

Abbas also urged all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority (PA), asserting that the PA must be empowered to fully assume its administrative and security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.

“We must enable the Palestinian Authority to take charge in Gaza,” Abbas declared. “We are also ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as the appropriate conditions are in place.”

He reaffirmed his commitment to Palestinian unity, stating, “We will continue our efforts to unify the Palestinian front.”

The summit in Baghdad brings together leaders and representatives from across the Arab world to address critical regional issues, with the Palestinian situation and the war in Gaza dominating the agenda.