“What happened today is a historic moment. We have been hoping – and continue to hope – that we can bring an end to the bloodshed taking place in our land, whether in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem,” Abbas told Israel’s Channel 12.
“Today, we are very happy that the bloodshed has ceased. We hope it remains this way, and that peace, security, and stability will prevail between us and Israel,” he added.
While the questions were asked in Hebrew, Abbas responded in Arabic.
When asked whether the Palestinian Authority (PA) had implemented the reforms mentioned by US President Donald Trump in his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, Abbas said that the reform process was already underway.
“I want to say honestly – we have launched reforms,” Abbas said.
“These reforms include the salaries to prisoners that we agreed with the US and which the US approved,” he said, referring to payments disbursed by the PA to the families of Palestinians killed by Israel or imprisoned in Israeli jails, including many detained for attacks on Israelis.
Abbas announced a reform to that payment scheme, that critics refer to as “pay-to-slay” in February, under pressure from the US and Israel, which described it as “funding for terrorism.” Several Palestinian officials condemned the decision then.
In his interview to Israel’s Channel 12 Thursday, Abbas added that other reforms in sectors such as education, economy, health sector, and security were all under implementation.
“Some have already been completed, and others are ongoing, until the PA becomes a model capable of continuing to lead the Palestinian people,” Abbas said.
Trump, along with other international leaders and organisations, has urged Abbas to reform the Palestinian Authority.
According to Trump’s 20-point plan, “while Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people”.