Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization issued a statement Saturday night slamming a decision by the Palestinian Constitutional Court, announced by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, to dissolve the moribund Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), also known as the PA parliament.
“The decision of Abbas deepens the internal Palestinian division and destroys the Palestinian political system,” said PLC and senior Hamas member Yehya Moussa. “The PLC will continue working and convene as usual, regardless of Abbas’ decision. The purpose of establishing the Constitutional Court was to attack the basic law and to be a tool in the hands of President Abbas to destroy any Palestinian institution,” he said, according to Xinhuanet.
Abbas made the announcement during remarks at a meeting that included the Fatah faction’s central committee and the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Abbas heads both Fatah and the PLO, in addition to leading the Palestinian Authority. The court has called for new legislative elections to be held in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas within six months, he said.
“This is what has to be implemented immediately as the first step against the Hamas movement,” Abbas said. “If Hamas rejects the Palestinian reconciliation and ending the internal division, we should go to the end in making decisions that were discussed by the central council of the PLO and its other committees… Hamas has a political plan of establishing a state in Gaza and ruling in the West Bank,” Abbas said.
“We stand at a crossroad, and we have already begun to reconsider all the signed peace agreements reached between Israel and the PLO.”
Hamas claimed the move would deepen the split between its government in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, which controls parts of Judea and Samaria.
The last legitimate Palestinian Authority legislative elections, held in 2006, were won by Hamas, which then seized control of Gaza one year later.