Abbas says Palestinian state should be unarmed and urges factions to surrender weapons

Palestinian President said elections should be held in Gaza one year after the war ends

Mahmoud Abbas with his delegation during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. EPA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his call for all factions to surrender their weapons, stressing that the Palestinian state should be unarmed.

In a meeting with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Matsumoto Hisashi in Ramallah, Mr Abbas called for “all Palestinian factions to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority under the principle of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon,” the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

“We do not want an armed state,” he affirmed.

Mr Abbas also emphasised the need for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the launch of the reconstruction process, and the holding of general elections within a year.

Hopes for a ceasefire have recently dimmed after mediators had proposed a 60-day truce and staggered release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The group's representatives were in Cairo this week for talks, but there was little optimism over a deal.

Israel’s army chief, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said on Thursday the military was “completing preparations” for an offensive in Gaza city. Ministers approved the plans last week despite mounting international opposition.

Meanwhile, residents of Gaza city reported Israeli strikes on busy neighbourhoods this week, which they feared could be the prelude to a full-scale invasion.

A masked Palestinian protester dressed as a clown flashes the victory gesture as he stands amid tear gas fumes during clashes with Israeli security forces in Ramallah. AFP

In parallel, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has advanced plans to build a settlement in the E1 area surrounding East Jerusalem, a step that would derail the creation of a Palestinian state.

He said he would approve tenders for more than 3,000 housing units, effectively splitting the occupied West Bank in two. Mr Smotrich said the goal was to “bury” the prospect of Palestinian statehood, with activists calling the plan an explicit embrace of apartheid.

Mr Abbas’s comments come as more western states recognise Palestine, a move Israel opposes, claiming it would compromise its security. Hamas has previously claimed it was ready to disarm if a Palestinian state were established.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Wednesday that lists had been finalised for about 5,000 Palestinian officers to begin training in the country to help fill the security vacuum in a postwar Gaza Strip.

Armed Palestinian factions are also present in other parts of the region, including Lebanon. Mid-June had been set as the start date for the disarmament process for Palestinian factions in the country, but it was postponed indefinitely.