Palestinian factions publicly fell out this week after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages and lay down its arms, prompting fierce backlash from Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups.
During a meeting on Wednesday in Ramallah, Abbas criticized Hamas for providing Israel with "excuses" to prolong its military campaign in Gaza by continuing to hold captives.
"Hamas has given the criminal occupation excuses to commit its crimes in the Gaza Strip, the most prominent being the holding of hostages," he said.
Addressing the group directly, Abbas added, "My brother, just hand them over ... You sons of dogs, hand over what you have and get us out of this ordeal."
His remarks immediately drew condemnation from Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim called Abbas’s comments "insulting," accusing him of repeatedly blaming Palestinian resistance while ignoring Israeli aggression.
"Abbas repeatedly and suspiciously lays the blame for the crimes of the occupation and its ongoing aggression on our people," Naim said Thursday, according to Doha-based Al Jazeera.
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, a faction that broke away from Abbas’s Fatah party, also condemned the comments.
In a statement on Telegram, the group said Abbas’s speech "disregards the sacrifices and struggle of our people" and accused the PA of promoting a narrative that criminalizes resistance while absolving Israel of its decadeslong occupation and the ongoing war in Gaza.
The movement called on Abbas to apologize and to abandon what it described as "a path of surrender and compromise" that aligns with Israeli interests.
"We call on the President of the Palestinian Authority to apologize for this offensive speech and reverse all steps that reinforce division," the statement said.
Fatah and Hamas have long been divided, politically and ideologically, with previous efforts at reconciliation failing to bridge the nearly two-decade rift. Abbas’s latest remarks are likely to complicate any future attempts at Palestinian unity.
The fallout comes amid continued Israeli military operations in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 1,928 people have been killed in the enclave since Israel resumed its campaign on March 18, bringing the total death toll since the genocidal war began to at least 51,400.
Efforts to secure a cease-fire have stalled. A Hamas delegation traveled to Cairo on Tuesday for renewed talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, though no breakthrough has been reported.
