Sat Jan 18 06:28:46 UTC 2025: ## Abbas Calls for Immediate Gaza Ceasefire and Full Israeli Withdrawal
**RAMALLAH, West Bank** – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the besieged territory, following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. In his first statement since the truce, Abbas declared the Palestinian Authority (PA) ready to assume full responsibility for post-war Gaza.
A statement released Friday by the Palestinian Wafa news agency outlined the PA’s preparedness to manage the return of displaced persons, provide essential services, oversee border crossings, and lead the reconstruction efforts in the war-torn region. This commitment comes despite Hamas’s de facto control of Gaza since 2007 and Israel’s rejection of both Hamas and PA governance in the territory.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa echoed Abbas’s statement, confirming the PA’s readiness to restore essential services in Gaza with a 100-day plan already in place. He also urged the European Union to reinstate its monitoring mission at the Rafah border crossing to facilitate aid delivery.
While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has advocated for PA control of Gaza, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have firmly opposed both Hamas and PA rule, viewing either as rewarding the October 7th Hamas attack. Palestinian leaders, however, have consistently asserted their right to determine Gaza’s future without external interference. The ongoing situation remains complex, with Israel yet to define its post-war governance stance.
First Piper 