Image by getty images

(JTA) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would take decisive action to end the political split between his regime and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

“These days, we are in a dangerous and tough situation that requires decisive steps, and we are to take these decisive steps,” Abbas said Wednesday, according to an Associated Press report citing the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. “Therefore, we are going to take unprecedented steps in the coming days to end the division.”

In 2007, Hamas drove forces loyal to Abbas from the Gaza Strip, and multiple efforts at reconciliation have since failed — most recently in 2014.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesperson, said Thursday that “the language of threats and dictating orders” would not be accepted.

Abbas’ threat comes ahead of a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that is expected to focus on Trump’s efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. An exact date for the meeting has not been set, but a Palestinian advance team is reportedly expected to visit Washington later this month.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount