In a rare and fiery tirade that sent shockwaves through the Palestinian political world, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas publicly condemned Hamas on Wednesday, accusing the terror group of handing Israel a “free pass” to escalate military operations in Gaza. In a moment that appeared more like political theater than sincere leadership, Abbas shouted in anger during a meeting in Ramallah, slamming Hamas for holding hostages and declaring that the ongoing captivity was giving Israel legitimate reasons to press forward with its offensive.
“Hamas has given the criminal occupation excuses to commit its crimes in the Gaza Strip, the most prominent being the holding of hostages,” Abbas roared. “I’m the one paying the price, our people are paying the price, not Israel. My brother, just hand them over!”
Abbas’ uncharacteristically public outburst reflects the deepening chasm between his Fatah party and Hamas—two rival Palestinian factions locked in an ideological and political cold war for nearly two decades. While Hamas thrives on chaos and confrontation, Abbas has long favored international diplomacy, albeit laced with his habitual rhetoric against Israel.
JUST IN đź”´
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 23, 2025
Palestinian President Abbas said Hamxs must hand over control of Gaza, surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, and transform into a political party. pic.twitter.com/2WbXlga4MF
Yet even in condemnation, Abbas couldn’t help but default to his familiar narrative, branding Israel a “criminal occupier” even as he blamed Hamas for providing justification for Israeli airstrikes.
Israeli Strikes Escalate Following Failed Ceasefire Talks
Meanwhile, Israel continues its relentless military campaign against Hamas with surgical airstrikes that have devastated terror infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday alone, 18 individuals were reported killed by Hamas-linked emergency services, including 11 in a strike on a school repurposed as a shelter—though the specifics of those killed remain unverified.
Anti-Israel activists immediately launched into a digital smear campaign, circulating graphic images and unsubstantiated claims in a desperate effort to shift the global narrative. Footage of wrapped bodies placed before the press at Al-Shifa hospital quickly went viral, prompting concerns of staged scenes designed for maximum emotional manipulation. Unlike standard morgue protocols, the remains were displayed for cameras rather than refrigerated—raising serious questions about the motives behind such media stunts.
Mahmoud Abbas, the man who pays West Bank terrorists lifetime salaries for murdering Jews, says to Hamas:
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) April 23, 2025
“You sons of dogs, hand over the hostages.”
I don't care. Mahmoud Abbas is a scumbag. His words are worthless. His existence is toxic. Piss off.
pic.twitter.com/6dmHIHM5UB
As expected, choreographed mourning scenes followed. Women huddled for the cameras sobbed over white-shrouded bodies while Palestinian media teams hovered, broadcasting the grief to an eager global audience—conveniently ignoring the decades-long track record of Hamas using civilians as human shields.
Abbas Exposes Hamas, But World Still Turns to Israel with Demands
Even as Abbas called for the release of hostages—believed to still include Israeli civilians and soldiers—the usual suspects in Europe rushed to pressure Israel. France, Germany, and Britain issued statements demanding an end to Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, conveniently sidestepping Hamas’s theft of aid and their use of U.N.-branded trucks to smuggle weapons.
Israel had resumed military operations in mid-March following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire that saw the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for roughly 1,800 convicted Palestinian terrorists—many of whom were directly involved in mass casualty attacks against Israelis.
Mahmoud Abbas to Hamas: “Why don’t you hand over the American hostages?”
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) April 23, 2025
With just one sentence, Abbas has done more to demand the release of American hostages than @RepRashida has in the past 18 months.
Hamas Still Holding Out as Cairo Talks Drag On
Efforts to broker another ceasefire have so far yielded no meaningful progress. A Hamas delegation is currently in Cairo engaging with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, but optimism remains low. The terror group, responsible for the October 7th massacre that left 1,218 Israelis dead—mostly civilians—continues to demand Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war before even considering further hostage releases.
This demand, seen by many as delusional in the wake of the atrocities committed by Hamas, is a non-starter for Israel, which has vowed to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza once and for all.
