PA’s Abbas tells Turkish parliament he will go to Gaza even if it costs him his life

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas tells a special session of the Turkish parliament that he will travel to Gaza even if it puts his life as risk.

“I have decided to go to Gaza with other brothers from the Palestinian leadership,” Abbas says in an address applauded by Turkish lawmakers.

“I will do that. Even if this would cost my life. Our life is not more worthy than the life of a child,” he adds.

Abbas, who has added a visit to Turkey after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, says the Palestinian people will stand tall and not accept a solution that keeps Gaza and the West Bank divided, as they have been since 2007.

“Gaza is ours as a whole. We don’t accept any solution that would divide our territories,” he tells the parliament. “There cannot be a Palestinian state without Gaza. Our people will not surrender.”

Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement, a rival to Hamas, already visited Turkey at Erdogan’s invitation in early March.