Palestinian president urges Hamas to hand over Gaza hostages

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Hamas group on Wednesday to release the hostages still being held in Gaza, calling it the main factor fuelling Israeli attacks on the territory.

"Hamas has given the criminal occupation excuses to commit its crimes in the Gaza Strip, the most prominent being the holding of hostages," Abbas said at a meeting in Ramallah.

"I'm the one paying the price, our people are paying the price, not Israel. My brother, just hand them over."
"Every day there are deaths. Why? Because they (Hamas) refuse to hand over the American hostage," said the Palestinian leader, referring to Edan Alexander, who was reportedly on a list of hostages Israel had asked to be freed in a proposal that was recently rejected by Hamas.

"You sons of dogs, hand over what you have and get us out of this" ordeal, he added, levelling a harsh Arabic epithet at Hamas.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, condemned Abbas's remarks, calling them "insulting."

"Abbas continues to describe a significant and integral part of his own people using derogatory language," Naim said. "Abbas repeatedly and suspiciously lays the blame for the crimes of the occupation and its ongoing aggression on our people."

Ties between Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas have been marked by deep political and ideological divisions for nearly two decades.

Abbas and his Palestinian Authority have often accused Hamas of undermining Palestinian unity, while Hamas has criticised the president for collaborating with Israel and cracking down on dissent in the West Bank.

Agence France-Presse