RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that the Palestinian people are facing conditions resembling a new Nakba, posing a serious threat to their national existence and cause, the Palestine News Agency (WAFA) reported.
Speaking at the opening of the 32nd session of the Palestinian Central Council at the Ahmed Shuqairy Hall in Ramallah on Wednesday, Abbas said recent developments reflect a continuation of past catastrophes — ranging from the 1948 Nakba and the 1967 displacement to the internal political division in 2007.
“We face grave dangers that are closer to a new Nakba that threatens our existence and portends the liquidation of our entire national cause,” he said.
Abbas claimed that these threats are part of ongoing plans rooted in the original displacement of Palestinians.
He said current diplomatic efforts — at Arab, Islamic and international levels — are focused on four key national priorities.
These include halting what he termed Israel’s war of extermination in Gaza, ensuring the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory, stopping repeated incursions into West Bank areas, and preventing violations at Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Hebron and across Palestine.
Abbas added that Israel’s military operations in the West Bank, which he described as “organised terrorism,” share the same goal as its aggression in Gaza — to eliminate the Palestinian national cause and impose colonial policies through force.
“The situation in Jerusalem, our eternal and sacred capital, is no different from the rest of the homeland,” he said.
He cited a range of Israeli measures in the city, including a tightening siege, the demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure, restrictions on access to holy sites, and attempts to erase Palestinian identity.
Abbas also accused Israel of acting above international law, reneging on agreements signed with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and fostering a climate of extremism and terrorism.
He criticised the financial pressure imposed on Palestinians, including the seizure of more than US$2 billion in clearance revenues and the confiscation of land and private property.
Reiterating his long-standing position, Abbas said peace and stability in the region depend on a political process based on international legitimacy and the end of Israeli occupation.
“Our vision for achieving a just and comprehensive peace and ensuring stability in Palestine and the region requires a political horizon based on the end of the Israeli occupation and the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions,” he said.
This vision, he added, includes the creation of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state, recognised as a full member of the United Nations (UN).
