Palestinian Authority President Calls on Hamas to Lay Down Arms

Mahmoud Abbas was speaking at a Palestinian Authority leadership council when he urged the terrorist group to eschew violence and become a political party.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas holds a joint news conference with the Turkish president after their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey, on July 25, 2023. Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas called on April 23 for the Hamas terrorist group to lay down arms and hand over the running of the Gaza Strip to his organization.

The veteran leader urged the move as part of efforts to answer international doubts about the authority’s role and capabilities in the wake of the unrest that has gripped the region for almost two years.