Palestinian Authority president calls Hamas ‘sons of dogs,’ demands release of hostages and disarmament

Mahmoud Abbas has called Hamas “sons of dogs,” demanding the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called Hamas “sons of dogs,” demanding the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group. Abbas said the priority is to stop “the Israeli genocide that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to.” He said the hostages present an excuse for Israel to continue attacking the besieged territory. “Sons of dogs, release the hostages and block their justifications,” Abbas said in a lengthy televised speech from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. Israel has vehemently denied accusations of genocide, saying its war in Gaza is being fought in self-defense and targets Hamas. The unprecedented remarks are perhaps Abbas’s strongest public criticism of Hamas to date and mark a significant shift in tone from the aging Palestinian leader. They come amid a renewed push to advance ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Egypt also floating the idea of the group’s disarmament recently. While Abbas has never outright condemned the October 7 attack on Israel, he has criticized Hamas for it in the past and reiterated his general condemnation of attacks against civilians.