In the latest sign of a deepening internal fracture within the Palestinian leadership, President Mahmoud Abbas has launched an unprecedented verbal attack on Hamas, calling them “sons of dogs” and demanding they release hostages, disarm, and cede control of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority (PA). These explosive remarks reflect not just personal outrage, but a broader crisis of legitimacy and leadership at a time when the Palestinian people are enduring catastrophic suffering. Mr Abbas’s words mark a significant rupture, laying bare the broken channels between the two dominant Palestinian factions.

His condemnation of Hamas ~ delivered not in the usual cautious political tones but with emotional venom ~ suggests a leader no longer concerned with optics but with legacy. Yet, beneath the fury lies a profound political reality: Mr Abbas has lost control of the narrative, of the territories, and arguably, of the confidence of his own people. Since Hamas seized Gaza in 2007, the Palestinian political landscape has been defined by division. While the PA governs parts of the West Bank, Hamas maintains a tight grip on Gaza. The war with Israel has only intensified this divide, with neither side able ~ or willing ~ to present a united front in the face of unprecedented civilian suffering. Mr Abbas’s speech, though seemingly directed at Hamas, is as much a cry of frustration over his own irrelevance as it is a call for unity.

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This moment is more than a political rupture; it is a mirror reflecting the Palestinian leadership’s paralysis. When internal rage eclipses strategic clarity, the dream of a unified front ~ essential for statehood ~ recedes into the realm of impossibility. There is no denying Hamas’s role in escalating the conflict. Its refusal to release hostages or disarm fuels Israel’s continued military campaign. However, Mr Abbas’s scathing denunciation risks alienating a significant portion of the Palestinian populace, particularly those in Gaza who, for better or worse, see Hamas as a symbol of resistance in the face of occupation and destruction. The language he used, incendiary and divisive, may win him applause in diplomatic circles, but it weakens any remaining hope for a cohesive national movement. More than 18 months into a devastating war, Palestinians need leadership that prioritises survival and dignity over factional vendettas.

They need a vision rooted in realism ~ one that seeks peace not just with Israel but among themselves. For that to happen, both Hamas and the PA must acknowledge their failings. Hamas must realise that its intransigence and militant posture only deepen Gaza’s agony. Meanwhile, Mr Abbas must rebuild trust and legitimacy, not through fiery speeches, but through genuine political reform and accountability. The Palestinian cause cannot afford a civil war of words. If there is to be any hope of ending the cycle of war, displacement, and despair, it must begin with a sincere effort toward internal reconciliation. Anything less is a betrayal ~ not just of politics, but of a people abandoned to bear the unbearable