"The Palestinian government has completed all preparations to assume full responsibilities in the Strip," their statement said.
Despite significant setbacks to Iran's axis, including Hezbollah's weakening and loss of Syrian smuggling routes, Tehran maintains dangerous influence in Jordan and the West Bank.
As the PA intensifies its military operation against Islamist fighters in Jenin, experts warn that its weakening authority could create a dangerous power vacuum in Judea and Samaria.
These coordinated calls from Gaza’s traditional leadership structures could potentially influence discussions about the territory’s future governance arrangements.
If Abbas wanted peace, he would have said that Shubaki was wrong to participate in terror attacks, serve as a terrorist leader, or purchase tons of weapons.
Abbas’s conundrum: Any action taken by the Palestinian Authority against terrorist groups in the West Bank only strengthens them, perhaps even at the expense of Fatah.
"The operation in Jenin is proceeding too slowly and on too small a scale. It is mostly defensive rather than offensive," the Israeli message read.
Abbas said in a statement that he thanked the pope "for his positions in support of achieving a just peace in Palestine based on the two-state solution."
Abbas travels to Italy this week, where he is expected also to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
A close ally of Abbas, Fattouh has been an important member of Fatah, leading the party's parliamentary bloc for decades.
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