Addressing UN confab on 2 states, PA PM urges Hamas to free hostages, cede Gaza control and weapons

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa calls for the release of all hostages and for Hamas to end its control of Gaza and transfer its weapons to the PA, during an address to a UN conference aimed at promoting a two-state solution.

“All countries bear the responsibility to act now to end the war against our people in Gaza and throughout Palestine, to ensure the release of all hostages and prisoners, and to ensure the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces,” he says.

Mustafa adds that the PA is prepared to welcome and coordinate with an international Arab force that will help stabilize Gaza after the war.

While Israel has expressed openness to assistance from Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates, those countries have conditioned such support on the PA’s involvement, which Israel has long rejected, likening the more moderate Ramallah to Hamas.

“We must all work to reunify the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, without occupation, siege, settlements, forced displacement or annexation,” Mustafa says. “We must rebuild Gaza with and for our people, end the occupation, achieve Palestinian independence, and implement the two-state solution, where Palestine and Israel live side by side, in peace and security, towards achieving regional peace, security, and prosperity.”