PA President Abbas’ Fatah party blames Hamas for ‘Nakba’ following Oct. 7 attack

After Hamas criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ appointment of longtime ally, Mohammed Mustafa as Palestinian prime minister, Abbas’ Fatah party hit back at Hamas with their own criticism, accusing the terror organization of causing another “Nakba.” 

On Thursday, Abbas appointed Mustafa as the next prime minister, replacing Muhammad Shtayyeh, who resigned from office two weeks earlier. 

Mustafa's appointment is believed to be part of a broader reform effort within the Palestinian Authority (PA) government. This reform has been demanded by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt to allow the PA to participate in a future government over the Gaza Strip after the war.

On Friday, Hamas criticized Mustafa’s appointment, saying it was not consulted in the “unilateral” decision. 

“We express our rejection of continuing this approach that has inflicted and continues to inflict harm on our people and our national cause,” the Hamas statement said. 

“Making individual decisions and engaging in superficial and empty steps such as forming a new government without national consensus only reinforces a policy of unilateralism and deepens division.” 

Later on Friday, the Fatah party responded by hitting back at Hamas, accusing the terror group of “having caused the return of the Israeli occupation of Gaza.” 

Fatah called Hamas’ Al-Aqsa Flood “the October 7 adventure,” and said the action led to a “catastrophe even more horrible and cruel than that of 1948.” 

In addition, Fatah claimed that Hamas, which did not consult with the other Palestinian factions before launching the Oct. 7 attack, was the one disconnected from the Palestinian people. 

Mustafa has been tasked with forming a new PA cabinet consisting of members without political affiliations in a lead-up to a so-called “technocratic government.” 

The United States, and several allies, have championed the idea of a technocratic government in a “reformed” Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after the war. 

Israel has rejected the idea of any PA participation in the rule of Gaza due to its support for Palestinian terrorism, as is seen in its 'pay-to-slay' policy in which the PA government compensates terrorists, or their surviving family members, for committing a terror attack against Israelis.

Both Hamas and Fatah recently participated in unity talks in Moscow, aimed at uniting the various Palestinian factions under the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) umbrella. 

The summit came right after the resignation of former prime minister Shtayyeh, a move that aimed to create an avenue for a new unity government. 

However, members of the unity summit may not have an interest in ending the conflict with Israel. 

According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Mayadeen, the political parties released a joint statement that “expressed support for the resilient Palestinian people and their Resistance, particularly in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and al-Quds… and providing assistance to the families of martyrs.”