Mahmoud Abbas visits Moscow for key discussions with Putin on Gaza war and bilateral relations
In response to an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Moscow for an official visit.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet tomorrow, according to the news agency Wafa. It is anticipated that Putin and Abbas will discuss joint efforts to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, and the routes for delivering humanitarian aid to the enclave. The agenda also includes discussions on bilateral relations.
"His Excellency will thank Russia for its support of the Palestinian cause and people at various levels and international forums," promised Palestinian Authority Ambassador to Moscow Abdel Hafiz Nofal.
This marks Abbas' first visit to Moscow since 2021. In March, Moscow hosted talks on unity between Abbas' secular Fatah party, which governs Ramallah and other Arab-populated areas in the West Bank, and the rival Hamas faction. The talks also involved the Islamic Jihad terrorist group from Gaza.
Ahead of his visit to Moscow, Mahmoud Abbas gave an extensive interview to Russian news agency TASS, during which he emphasized that the "liberation of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories" and the implementation of a two-state solution—both Arab and Jewish states—would "ensure long-term peace in the Middle East."
"The implementation of a two-state solution based on international law, Israel's withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as their capital, guarantees the achievement of stability and security in the Middle East," he further stated.
Abbas is convinced that the presence of an "extremist government in power in Israel, which does not believe in peace and puts itself above international law, makes the situation in the Middle East more tense." As proof of this, he cited "mass killings, genocide, and ethnic cleasings in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, as well as attacks on neighboring countries."
"If Israel wants to live in peace and security with its neighbors as a normal, peace-loving state, it must agree to implement a two-state solution based on an international legal framework, including the Arab Peace Initiative," stressed Abbas.
The interview also revealed Abbas' aspirations to gain control over post-war Gaza. He indicated that his administration has developed a plan for the "return of refugees and comprehensive reconstruction of the sector."
"Within the framework of a comprehensive political solution, the Palestinian government, which is ready to start performing its duties in the Gaza Strip, has presented a plan for the return of refugees and a program for the reconstruction of the enclave, including the resumption of hospitals, schools, and essential utilities such as power and water supply," he added.
Abbas emphasized that full-scale reconstruction requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the implementation of a political solution based on international law to ensure general peace and security.
As previously reported the head of the Palestinian Authority will visit Moscow from August 12-14, hoping to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on August 13 and hold talks with Arab ambassadors. This was confirmed earlier by the Palestinian Authority's ambassador to Russia, Abdel Hafiz Nofal.
"The President arrives on the evening of August 12. The meeting with President Putin is expected on Tuesday, before which Mahmoud Abbas will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. He will leave on August 14. Of course, there will be a meeting with Arab ambassadors," the ambassador told news agency TASS.
According to the ambassador, the main topic of discussion will be the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"The situation in Gaza. We will talk about Russia's role and what can be done," Nofal noted. "We are in a very difficult situation, and Russia is a close country to us. We need to consult."