Source: Al Jazeera

Hamas has condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after he delivered a scathing public rebuke against the group, accusing them of worsening the suffering of Palestinians by holding onto Israeli hostages in Gaza.

During a televised speech, Abbas voiced frustration with Hamas’s handling of the hostage issue, saying:

“I’m the one paying the price, our people are paying the price, not Israel. My brother, just hand them over.”

He then shouted: “You sons of dogs, hand over what you have and get us out of this ordeal,” using a harsh Arabic epithet directed at Hamas.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during the 32nd Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council session in Ramallah on April 23, 2025 [Zain Jaafar/AFP]

Hamas responded in a statement calling Abbas’s words “insulting and irresponsible,” accusing him of siding with Israeli narratives and failing to stand with the Palestinian resistance. The group said Abbas’s remarks were a “betrayal” of the people of Gaza who have endured months of Israeli bombardment.

The incident highlights the deep political rift between the Palestinian Authority, based in the occupied West Bank and led by Abbas, and Hamas, which governs Gaza. The two factions remain divided over governance, resistance strategy, and crisis management amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with thousands killed and over a million displaced. Ceasefire talks and negotiations over a potential hostage-prisoner exchange remain deadlocked, as internal Palestinian tensions further complicate diplomatic efforts.