RAMALLAH: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for unity between the West Bank and Gaza as well as Fatah and Hamas during a speech on Friday evening. Abbas said he tried to contact both Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshaal, but that neither were available to speak. Furthermore, Abbas emphasized that under these conditions, Palestinians must continue the push for self-determination through a vote in the United Nations General Assembly. He accused Israel of launching its offensive, Operation Pillar of Defense, in order to delegitimize the PA's diplomatic efforts in the UN. His speech comes on the third day of Israel's offensive against Gaza and as Israeli soldiers and tanks are amassing around the narrow coastal strip in preparation for a potential ground invasion, Ma'an News Agency says.
