Acting PA chief Abbas congratulates Hamas over victory against Israel

Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas has congratulated Hamas over the resistance movement’s victory in the eight-day-long Israeli military onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

“In a telephone conversation, Abu Mazen (Abbas) congratulated Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on his victory and offered condolences for the martyrs,” a Hamas statement said on Thursday.

Abbas also hailed Palestinians’ steadfastness against the recent Israeli aggression.

Egypt announced on Wednesday that the Israeli regime and the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, had reached a ceasefire agreement.

On November 14, Israel launched a deadly offensive on the besieged Gaza Strip, which killed more than 160 Palestinians and injured some 1,200 others.

Palestinian resistance fighters incessantly poured rockets and missiles onto the Israeli cities, killing at least five Israelis, including one soldier, in retaliation for the deadly attacks on Gaza.

Haniyeh, for his part, briefed Abbas of the situation in Gaza after the ceasefire with Israel, and expressed support for the Palestinian bid for achieving Observer State status at the United Nations.

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on November 29 on Palestine’s resolution calling for it to be upgraded to Observer State status at the UN.